Inheritance
by Renolvr
Summary: Sequel to Something To Fight For,Genesis discovers his degenerative DNA has skipped a generation and landed upon his grandson,Jamie.The teen's body won't accept any related Cells and so there is no way of halting it, Weiss offers his grandnephew help.
1. Rumours Confirmed

"Get up Jamie!"

Jamie Almasy rolled over in his bed as his mother's voice could be heard coming from outside his door………Christi shook her head and turned to her husband;

"You wake him up! And tell him if he doesn't get the fuck up in the next five minutes I'm gonna stick him through a wall!"

Seifer only grinned as his wife walked off down the corridor, he turned back and knocked on the door;

"Jamie; I seriously suggest you get up, and up now boy!"

After several more seconds of silence, on his son's part; Seifer shrugged his shoulders and opened the door………

Before Jamie had a chance to realise what was even happening; he was lying out in the middle of the corridor, a pillow still in his clutches………

"What the hell!"

"I told you to get up, didn't I?"

"But-but it's Saturday Dad! I'm never conscious before twelve on a Saturday! What fucking gives?!"

"Don't curse…just get dressed and come to the training hall………and don't even _**attempt**_ to go back asleep, it won't be me dragging you out next time, it'll be your Mom!"

Jamie wasted no time in returning to his room and hastily dressing himself; he'd made the mistake of taking the threat of his mother wakening him as an empty one before – not fun! And that was how he'd discovered his mother's power over Jenova's power; or something along those lines; Gaia knew; the youngster didn't believe in listening when he was told to do so!

* * *

"About time Jamie!"

Jamie looked up as he heard the familiar voice of Zell Dincht; and Jamie, not being in the best of moods, especially at having been woken early on a Saturday, decided to take a leaf out of his mother's book;

"Keep it up Zell! I'll make sure there's not one hotdog left in the cafeteria by lunch-time now because of that!"

Christi ignored her son's sour disposition as she turned to face the door of the vast training hall as it opened again; Squall walked through, the crowd of adults and Jamie immediately fell silent as they noticed the grim look on the headmaster's face…this definetly wasn't good………

"Well? Are the rumours true, did Reeve manage to get anything?"

Jamie instantly looked up; he knew things were bad if Reeve Tuesti was being mentioned, after all; he was the commissioner of the WRO; he'd met the man on several occasions………

"What's goin on Mom?"

Christi looked to her son, to be honest; she didn't quiet know herself; the WRO had contacted the mercenary school during the night with unconfirmed rumours of sightings: sightings of DGS troops...they'd been trying since then to gain confirmation on the rumours...

Squall remained silent for several minutes as numerous thoughts raced through his head; he couldn't believe that it had come to this again; _as if going through such a battle hadn't been enough the first time round, but for the same enemies to rear their ugly heads once again; it was just unbelievable!_

"**_Oi, Squall_**; an answer would be nice!"

The headmaster snapped out of his thoughts as Christi's voice sliced through the silence of the hall; he looked up and shook his head solemnly;

"Sightings have been confirmed; all WRO and ShinRa troops are being recalled to their respective bases in preparation of a head on confrontation..."

"Fuck it!"

Christi turned on her heels and walked towards the door of the training hall...

"Where're you going?"

She shrugged at her husbands' query;

"Computer hall; I'm going to upload some firewalls and blocks incase of any rogue transmissions; remember what happened in the WRO base last time? And I'm gonna contact the ShinRa base..."

"You're going to let them know then?"

She nodded as she walked through the door; it had been decided earlier that if the rumours were proven to be true; then all who had fought seventeen years ago alongside WRO, ShinRa, SOLDIER and AVALANCHE were to travel to Edge to lend whatever resources they could...

* * *

"Sir; there's a live-feed coming through..."

Rufus ShinRa looked up from where he'd been leafing through numerous sheets of paperwork that now adorned his desk to that of the young technician who had entered his office; it was only half-five in the morning and in the few hours that had passed since the confirmation of the rumours the whole ShinRa Headquarters had been turned on it's head; all troops and Turks stationed throughout the wide plain of Gaia were being recalled, some had arrived already...but although it was known of the dreaded return of Deepground; it still wasn't known if the Nightmare had returned also...

"Where from?"

"Balamb Garden, sir."

* * *

"Genesis; incoming transmission from Balamb..."

The revered 1st Class SOLDIER turned from the mainframe he'd been working several scans off of as he heard Angeal's voice...

* * *

"What the hell's going on around this place?"

Elmyra Fair shrugged her shoulders from where she sat high in the bleachers with her friends;

"Dunno Aj; Charlie got collored to give a hand about an hour ago, and Mike ended up having to help his Dad; haven't seen him yet...c'mon; I'm sick of waiting; let's go find someone!"

Aj and San both got to their feet as Elmyra started to make her way down the bleachers; is search on anyone who'd shed some light upon the rapid confusion that was now enveloping the ShinRa Headquarters; all three of the teens were best friends; not one was seen without the other two, it just didn't happen!

* * *

"Dad, what's going on?"

Zack turned upon hearing his daughter's voice; she had certainly taken after her father where looks had been concerned; she sported long ebony locks and vivid violet eyes that shone with inherited mako energy (BTW; I've noticed in clips I've seen from Crisis Core that Zack has mako-blue eyes; but when I wrote this; I was basing his appearance on Last Order; and if you look at clips from that on youtube, or whatever, his eyes are violet.)

Zack remained silent for a few seconds; silently debating whether to reveal the truth to the three teenager or not,

"Eh...I can't tell you Elymra-"

Elmyra smirked slightly towards her father, knowing that he was easily presuaded otherwise...

"I can make your life hell!"

Zack grinned as he heard his daughter's words; numerous retorts forming on his tongue...

"You mean you haven't started that yet?"

"Haha smart ass! Look Dad; either you tell us, or we'll just go ask Reno!"

* * *

"How're things in Edge then?"

Genesis smirked slightly upon looking at his daughter's face on the live feed from Balamb displayed on the large mainframe screen;

"Confusing at the moment; has Reeve contacted you yet?"

Christi nodded her hazel-haired head in the affirmative;

"Yeah, at about five; any new developments since? Sightings of Sephiroth maybe?"

Genesis shook his head, no; there still hadn't been any reports of the deranged ex-SOLDIER, whether that was to be taken as a good or bad omen was yet to be revealed.

"Squall's appointing Quistis temporary Headmistress of the school for the moment; we'll be arriving later today if all goes as planned...so that'll be all the forces recalled; WRO, Turks, ShinRa troops and See-Ds..."

Gensis nodded, understanding his daughter's intent; if it came to fighting, then she was going to be part of it...

"Are you sure?"

"Yes; we are...tell Reeve and Rufus to upload some blocks and firewalls on all their terminals; you don't want a replay of what happened with Weiss the last time...that's it for now Dad, I'll see you in a couple of hours."

"Be careful Christi."

Christi made to make a response to her father's statement, but shot her gaze sideways as an audible crashing was heard within the computer hall of Balamb, followed closely by several blood-curdling screeches...

Genesis recognised the sounds at once; _**shadow creepers**_...but before the SOLDIER had a chance to react; the live feed was severed...


	2. Fear

"Shit!"

Christi quickly jumped from her seat at the mainframe as one repulsive looking shadow creeper made a leap towards her, though she had moved with exceptional speed; it wasn't enough to avoid the beast's razor-sharp claws, a cry escaped her mouth as its' taloned claw tore three ragged streaks across the lower of her back, Christi retaliated with several blasts of fire magic, but other than that; she was weaponless and outnumbered...

"Christi!"

Seifer quickly defeated several of the putrid beasts upon entering the computer hall; he'd only come to check if his wife had gotten through to ShinRa...

* * *

"Get that live feed back up running now!"

Genesis spun on several technicians; all of which almost had heart failure upon him shouting, albeit unintentionally, at them... nevertheless, they all set about re-instating contact with the mercenary school

_Please be okay Christi..._Genesis silently prayed as he kept his glowing gaze fixed on that on the large mainframe computer; all within the vast hall remained silent; all aware of what had just happened and what it now meant...even the teenagers; if the shadow creepers were back; then so were the three remnants, and, most probably; The Nightmare himself.

* * *

Seifer turned to face his wife as the last of the shadow creepers fell to his Hyperion; worry laced his voice as he spotted the blood-splattered floor;

"Christi, you okay?"

Christi nodded her head, still reeling from the surprise of the attack; _how the hell had they gotten into the school unnoticed?_

"I'm alright, but how the hell did that happen!?"

"You're hurt..."

"Huh...yeah; it's nothing-"

"That's not nothing Christi; you need stitches!"

* * *

"Hey Leonhart; we've a problem!"

Squall turned from where he'd been idly running through things with Quistis in preparation of their departure, his eyes came to rest on that of Seifer;

"What happened? What's wrong?"

"Shadow Creepers. A few of them infiltrated the computer hall..."

"Is Christi alright?"

"She's in the medical wing getting stitches, one of them landed a hit; she's three deep gashes across her lower back..."

* * *

"Incoming live feed from Edge..."

Jamie turned from where he stood as he heard the See-D recruit's shout, and made his way over towards one of the mainframes; he'd just been told of what had transpired in the computer hall. He picked up a headset and typed a validation code into the large terminal, aware that the adults were preoccupied at the moment...

"Jamie...is your Mom alright? What happened? Was anyone harmed?"

Jamie scratched the side of his hazel-haired head as he tried to decipher the string of questions his grandfather had just uttered, it was too early in the morning and the youngster was still half asleep………

"Eh...Mom's getting treated in the medical wing; one of them things landed a hit, but it's not too bad; just some stitches, other than that no one else was hurt, and what happened was some shadow creepers showed up, don't know how, or why though...it's too fucking early for this shit! Can't DGS or whoever else not wait until evening or night-time to mount attacks, not half fucking five in the goddamn morning! I'm shattered!"

Genesis smirked slightly as he heard the numerous swears his grandson had just uttered; his mother would crucify him if she heard him!

* * *

"Jamie; get Alex…we're just about ready to head off………"

The, still half-asleep, seventeen year old nodded his head at his father and proceeded towards his little sister's room………

"What's wrong Jamie?"

"Shush, nothing; we're just going on a little trip with Mommy and Daddy, you can go back asleep if you want hun; it's still early………"

Jamie hoisted the four-year old up into his arms and turned to walk back out the door of her room, out of the blue; a severe migraine took hold of the teenager; who simply just kept on walking with Alex having of fallen back to sleep in his arms; he blamed the headache on being up so early in the first place………

* * *

_**A Couple of Hours Later **_

"Hey; the guys from Balamb are here!"

Aj, Elmyra and San all looked up in unison as they heard Charlie ShinRa's shout; it had been about a months since they'd been to Balamb, and they were dying to see Jamie; he had quickly become a member of the teenage group; only problem being; it was kinda a part-time thing, seeing he lived at the Mercenary school along with his parents and they lived in Edge………

"Grandpa!"

Alex ran as she saw her grandfather's figure; Genesis smiled as he scooped up the young child; glad for her safety, and that of the rest of his family.

"Hey Rufus, upload any blocks or anything onto your mainframes and terminals yet?"

Christi's question was met by a shaken head; he'd forgotten………The hazel-haired woman grinned and shook her head;

"God you're hopeless; I'll do it now if you want………"

* * *

"Hey; Almasy, you alright there?"

Jamie looked up from where he'd been idly staring at the floor of the training hall as Mike Highwind's voice could be heard;

"Huh…yeah; I'm fine………just a bit tired is all…"

The winged teenager then lay back; over several seats in the front row of bleachers, as to emphasize this fact………his head was still pounding and he seriously didn't feel well………within seconds; sleep had overcome him.

* * *

"Have there been any other sightings? Anything else to prove that he's back?"

Reeve shook his head, no; there hadn't been a single other incident since the shadow creepers showed up at Balamb…

"Maybe he's not back this time round…"

Angeal shook his head at the comment; he knew Sephiroth;

"He's back alright; he's just trying to mess with our heads, making us question ourselves…"

Even though Angeal continued his talking; it seemed to fade from Christi's hearing as her vision clouded and she became unstable on her feet………

* * *

"_First regiment are in position at the ShinRa base, several of the Tsviets are heading the assault Sephiroth; any prisoners to be taken?"_

"_Hojo, the rest may perish…that is; unless you have any use of them Weiss? Or Hojo for that matter………"_

"Jamie, wake up!"

Jamie sat bolt upright as he heard his little sister's voice; he looked around with bleary eyes, his headache still very much present, at the vast training hall; he noticed the adults all grouped over by the other side of the hall, he turned his attention back to the young child that had woken him;

"What's goin on Alex?"

"Mommy felt sick, so Daddy made her sit down…are you okay, you don't look well either Jamie?"

The youth smiled slightly as he heard his sister's words; she was only four and, still, concerned about others, he got to his feet and scooped the little girl up, perching her on his shoulders as he began walking towards the group of adults;

"I'm fine, just tired………had some weird dream though!"

* * *

"Oh no, you've got me! I can't see!"

Genesis looked up from where he'd been watching his daughter; she didn't look the best and had taken a dizzy bout a few minutes previous, he smiled upon turning his glowing gaze to that of the source of the shouts; his grandchildren…

"Jamie, don't drop me!"

"I can't hear you!"

"You're being silly!"

"I know – let's have some fun!"

Alex smiled as her big brother shifted her from his shoulders, down into a piggyback; she tightened her grip around his neck, knowing what was coming next………

Christi followed her father's gaze to that of her kids, she frowned upon noticing Jamie moving Alex down his back a bit; then jumped to her feet as she realised what he was intending on doing…

"Jamie Almasy; don't you dare!"

The words were only out of her mouth when Jamie looked up and grinned; stretching his left-shouldered, back feathered wing wide and launching himself high into the cavernous height of the training hall, Alex grinning wide as she clung tightly to her brother's back; she loved it when he flew; even more so when he brought her along for the ride………

"I'll brain him one of these days!"

"Christi, not being funny here or anything; but you haven't had a bout like that since before he was born; and nine times out of ten, they were usually accompanied by something that wasn't for our benefit…"

Christi tore her gaze from her children as her father spoke; she picked up on the allegorical meaning straight away; she had seen something………

"I saw Sephiroth and Weiss, but…I couldn't make out anything they were saying, it was all muffled………"

Jamie grinned as he touched down once more, he placed Alex back on her feet, where she gladly ran over to where some of her toys lay on the ground, Jamie then proceeded walk towards the crowd of edgy looking adults; he decided to try and lighten the mood;

"I had some weird ass dream! I could here everyone in it talking, but it was like looking at the people through a manky window; it's all blurred and weird! Funny shit or what!?"

The laugh he'd expected never came; instead he was greeted by numerous disbelieving faces, none more so than his mother and grandfather, Christi shook her head; hoping with all her might that it had, in fact, just been a weird dream her son had had………

"What did you hear?"

Jamie quickly relayed all that he'd heard between the two unidentifiable figures he'd seen in the dream………

Genesis shook his head solemnly; why did things always seem to cock themselves up? Why couldn't life be straight-forward? He heaved a heavy sigh, aware that an attack was now imminent;

"No point standing around waiting for the assault to commence; sitting ducks make easy targets………"

"Yes; sitting ducks and little children that is…my darling………"

Christi felt her blood run cold as she recognized the thick Russian accent………she caught he husband by the arm as she turned…

"Seifer!"

The blonde, gunblade wielding, father turned as he heard his fear lacing his wife's usually strong voice, he felt himself waver as he spotted his four year old daughter sitting at the feet of the deranged Tsviet………

Rosso simply smirked and pointed her bladed gun towards the innocent little girl, not flinching once as the child's glowing blue irises filled with fear………


	3. A White Winged Angel,,,

No one dared to move as the demented Tsviet's forefinger hovered threateningly over the trigger of her bladed gun, but just as her finger began to close in; an agonising pain hit Rosso hard into the back of her right shoulder as a clear gunshot sliced through the tentative silence; the psychotic woman turned to see a teenager standing in the doorway of the hall's entrance, the female youth had pale skin, long ebony locks, but more distinctive than all else; her vivid crimson eyes………identical to that of her father's………

Within the few seconds of confusion that followed the Tsviet being shot; several things happened rapidly at once; ShinRa ranks and AVALANCHE snapped out of their dazes as numerous DGS and guard hounds breeched the building………

* * *

"_**Alex!**_ Alex, where are you!?"

Christi ran frantically amidst the fighting, in search of her young daughter………Rosso smirked evilly once again upon locating the woman, then made a point of re-aiming her weapon at the young child that now stood in the middle of the mayhem looking very vulnerable and lost all of a suden...and firing, knowing that Christi had a full view of her actions………

Christi's breath caught in her throat upon setting her gaze upon her daughter, then the Tsviet; she made to run towards the child as the gunshot echoed loudly, but the bullets never met their intended innocent target, Christi caught the sight of white wings as the child was scooped up and removed from amidst the fighting; her first thoughts were that of Angeal………

She stopped as an unfamiliar tugging sensation struck her, she turned quickly to see Nero behind her, and grinned upon realising what he intended on doing;

"Nu-uh! That don't work on me!"

* * *

"Shit!"

Jamie back-tracked several paces as he parried yet another blow, dealt to him by twin gunblades that were wielded by that of the Tsviet leader; Weiss………the teenager cursed beneath his breath, silently wondering how the hell he'd ended up with this adversary.

The youth faltered as his back made contact with the wall behind him; he was cornered, and knew in his heart and soul that he didn't have the skills or experience to defeat his uncle………But to Jamie's astonishment; Weiss held his blows as an evil smirk lit up his face, the spiky-haired man stepped sideways to reveal the teenager's new opponent………

"_**Fuck!"**_

Jamie ducked as an elongated sword swiped over his head; whatever hope he may have stood against Weiss; he stood none against Sephiroth; the teenager did the only thing that sprung to mind; he flexed his black wing, pushed his leg hard off of the wall behind him, and launched his body into flight………

"_**Ahhh!"**_

The teenager allowed a cry to escape his lips as a stray bullet hit him in the right shoulder, his blade falling from his grip as a result of his reflex action; Jamie spun on the fighting crowd below; the bullet wound wasn't much; just a scratch, it had just skint the top of his shoulder, still; he'd have rathered not to have gotten it at all in the first place!

"Hey! Watch where you're fucking shooting down there!!!"

"Don't fucking curse Jamie!"

Seifer grinned as he heard his son's shout; followed closely by his wife's reply, talk about hypocritical!

Jamie only grinned as he heard his mother's shout; then sent a barrage of Fira towards a crowd of countless DGS troops………

It was another twenty to thirty minutes of heated fighting before the shout was heard; compliments of Weiss; who had suddenly become aware that it was neither Sephiroth nor DeepGround who bore the advantage and upper hand of the fight;

"DGS, fall back!"

Jamie watched on from his birds' eye view as DGS and the Tsviets quickly obeyed their leader's order, whilst Sephiroth and his three remnants seemingly just vanished from view………

Christi looked to Angeal as he landed beside her, but there was no little four-year old in his clutches; but if Angeal hadn't, then who had?

"Where's Alex?!"

Angeal shook his head; he had presumed that another had intervened, but it hadn't been him………"

"Hey, morons; up here!"

Numerous heads shot upwards at the sound of a female's voice; a smirk lit up Angeal's face as he recognised the young-looking woman that now held the scared looking young child; two white wings, one to each shoulder blade, assured he was correct;

"Rika!"

Rika Hewley smiled as she landed across from Angeal, it had been years since she had seen his face………

"Alex!"

"Mommy…"

Christi took her child from this new person as the child began to cry; she shot the chocolate-coloured haired female a grateful look as she hugged the four year old tightly, allowing the child to cry into the crook of her neck…

"Thank you so much…"

Christi fought back tears of relief as she spoke to the stranger as Seifer took the sobbing child from her, and began soothing his frightened daughter………

* * *

"Jenny!!!"

Jenny Valentine grinned widely as several teenagers rushed her at once………Vincent simply smirked as his daughter was almost knocked to her feet, he felt proud that the eighteen year old princess of Wutai, was a top class gun-slinger; much to her mother's annoyance, sure the teen was a good enough ninja; but if she had the choice between ninja or guns; she'd pick guns!!!

Genesis turned as the three members of the Valentine family approached;

"You have no idea how grateful I am that you were late Vincent…"

**_"JIGGLES!!!"_**

"Shut the fuck up Reno!"

All eyes once again turned to the new arrival, all with questions burning in their eyes…Angeal smirked as he answered on Rika's behalf;

"Meet Rika Hewley, my sister…"


	4. A Prisoner of DNA

**_A/N; Major thanks to Retro Lamb for; _**

**_1; Sticking with me through all of Something To Fight For2; Breaking down the fence I was sitting on._**

**_3; Her constant support._**

**_4; The use of her amazing character; Rika Hewley!!!!!!!!:):):):):-P

* * *

_**

"Oww, oww, oww- fucking _**oww**_ already!"

"Jamie; I'm warning you – less of the cursing!"

Jamie reverted to mentally cursing whoever it was that had shot the bullet as the nurse continued to stitch up the small wound on the top of his shoulder. Christi just shook her head, still reeling from the reality of what could have happened if Angeal's sister hadn't have shown up………it didn't even bear thinking about.

* * *

"Thank you again…"

Rika Hewley simply nodded her head, she was just thankful the little girl was okay. It had only been by pure luck that she'd arrived there at that time; she had been under the impression that ShinRa may have been at Balamb Garden, but it seemed that she'd been under the wrong one!

"Halloooo Emmy!"

Rika turned on the spot upon hearing her nickname; Zack grinned widely at his old friend, the last time he's seen her had been when he pulled her from the burning rubble of Nibelheim…was is seriously that long ago?! She smiled at her past comrade;

"You've grown up!"

Zack smiled childishly at his praise; but it was short lived as a black haired teenager with mako-violet eyes walked past; unwilling to allow her father the ego boost, he had a big enough one as it was!!!

"Nah; he just thinks he has………"

The 1st Class SOLDIER spun on the cheeky youth; a grin still upon his lips;

"Yeah, well I can still ground you Elmyra!"

The eighteen year old didn't even skip a beat as she answered whilst walking out the door of the vast training hall;

"Correction Dad; you can try!"

* * *

"Someone get a lock on their location now!"

Several technicians nodded their heads and set about the meticulous task of locating the Nightmare's and DGS's base as Angeal left the shout out; being about the only person who wasn't still questioning their new ally; Rika, or simply; not realising that time was something they couldn't afford to waste!

"Awww; no hug and fondy for me Angeal – I'm insulted I am!"

Angeal simply smirked upon hearing his half-sister's statement, Rika could be the queen of sarcasm when it suited her!

* * *

_**A week later **_

"Oww, owww, fucking _**OWWWW!**_"

Jamie ducked as his mother's hand made a swipe for his head; he'd learnt to expect such an action after he cursed!!! But what he didn't expect was another hand coming from the other side; compliments of his godmother; Selphie!

"Will you all stop hitting me! It's bad enough getting stitches out, without you two slapping me from each side…give me a break already women!"

Lucrecia only smiled as continued removing the teenager's stitches, while he continued to vent on the reasons behind why women liked to pick on him………

"And then there's – _**ahhh**_!"

Several heads turned as the youth instinctively clutched his right hand to the top of his left shoulder………Genesis watched grandson, at first he presumed the cry had been a result as the last of the stitches coming free of the teenager's flesh, but this theory was short lived as a deep crimson liquid was seen to seep through the youngster's fingers…

"Jamie; take your hand away………"

The seventeen-year-old did as his grandfather instructed, only to reveal the wound had split itself open once more, evidently not having healed in the very least.

* * *

"Jamie; what happened your shoulder?"

Jamie looked to his little sister; confusion evident in his glowing blue eyes, he was damned if he knew! The teenager turned his gaze to the confused faces of AVALANCHE and ShinRa, which stood around him in the medical room; it didn't look as if any of them knew either………and as a sudden sense of nausea took hold of him; he looked to the ground and stated the obvious with a slight groan;

"I'm gonna be sick………"

Christi watched as Lucrecia and Shalua bandaged her son's shoulder; then sent him to his sleeping quarters with strict orders of rest while they ran some tests on his blood sample to try and figure out what the hell was going on………

* * *

Rika looked to her brother, she had a fair idea of what was causing the slow healing, or lack of; in the youth, especially now seems she'd been filled in on his parentage and whom it was his grandfather was…

"Angeal, you don't think –"

"I sincerely hope not…but that's how his started out; a minor wound that wouldn't heal………"

"What're you on about?"

The two siblings turned as a males' voice sliced through their hushed conversation; Seifer looked at the two; Jamie was his son, he had a right to know what was going on if they knew!

"I have a right to know Angeal…"

Angeal rubbed his chin, mentally debating whether or not to shine some light on one aspect his friend had refused to share with any on his own family…to his relief though; Genesis spoke, more so to Lucrecia and Grimoire than anyone else;

"Get Hojo; I need him to run some comparisons with Jamie's samples and mine that are already on file………"

Christi stared at her father; she had a mounting sense of dread, why hadn't her son's shoulder healed? And what was she missing out on!?

"Why!?"

Genesis turned from where he'd ordered several grunts, to face his daughter, shame and guilt evident in his eerily glowing eyes;

"To see if Jamie's DNA is degenerating………"


	5. Anger

"What d'you mean degenerating?!"

Genesis sighed deeply as his daughter demanded an explanation, one she definitely should have been given from the word go…but he hadn't seen a reason to share it with her; she had never shown any signs of the harrowing trait; so he'd presumed it had effected him and that was it, that it couldn't be passed on through the genes………but maybe he'd been wrong? The SOLDIER turned from where he'd been keeping a close eye on the demented Hojo, whom was now running comparisons, albeit not willingly, but he'd been persuaded otherwise as Vincent had made Cerberus visible………

"I left ShinRa for what happened when you were three Christi; that was my main and front most reason………but there's something else I should have told you; my DNA began to degenerate before I met your mother; I had been sparring with Angeal and Sephiroth, more so Sephiroth, but things got too thick too fast; Angeal tried to intervene, but I kept fighting; I broke his sword, and injured my shoulder; but whereas it should have healed relatively fast; it didn't heal at all, not even with injections of Mako………after a while; Hollander discovered that my DNA was degenerating…then he got fired, so I broke ranks and sided with him out of the hope of finding a way to halt the degeneration………after it was halted; I returned to ShinRa………"

"How did you stop it?"

"I obtained hairs from him………his Jenova Cells………"

Zack quickly looked behind him, hoping that the SOLDIER was pointing at someone else; but he wasn't………

"_**Gross!"**_

Christi, on the other hand, didn't see the humorous side of this statement; all she felt was anger; how could he have kept it a secret for so long? When she had been at risk from it………but it wasn't that that angered her, it was the fact that; Jamie was her son, and she couldn't protect him...

"So what!? You're saying Jamie has this…this thing?! But if you stopped it with Jenova cells; then how come his don't stop it? I have the cells, and so does he! So; he can't be degenerating – or whatever the fuck you called it!"

"Awww; it looks as if you were correct Genesis; you _**are **_killing your own grandson…"

Hojo only smirked dementedly as he voiced his carefully worded conclusion………Genesis shut his eyes as he turned so as he didn't have to bear witness to the look upon his daughter's face………

"Why aren't his cells halting it?"

Again; the prisoner scientist only smirked as he spoke in response to the red-coated individual's query;

"Simple laws of science; the more times you dilute something, the weaker it becomes – think about it; you got the cells from Zack, then you passed them onto your daughter, who passed them onto her children; halving the concentration of the cells throughout the generations; the degeneration has laid dormant long enough to build up an immunity to the cells present in it's host body………you must feel so guilty, hmm…such a young age to die, seventeen; isn't it?"

"Shut up you bastard!"

Seifer was forced to grab his wife as she made a hate-fuelled assault on the spectacle-wearing instigator; he swung her wide as her hands outstretched threateningly towards the hated scientists' throat………but as he placed her feet back on the tiled floor; they seemed to crumple as she did the same; the reality of what was happening finally hitting home as sobs wracked her body………Seifer instinctively wrapped an arm around her and pulled her back to her feet, holding her tight as she cried…

"C'mon brighteyes; he'll be fine…"

"No he won't Seifer…don't lie to me! I don't need anymore lies………this isn't fair; any of it…Jamie's never even done anything wrong…why's this happening!"

"Shush…I don't know, but it's not over yet; no one's gonna give up on this………but if you do; we all do………"

"I don't want to lose my son………"

* * *

"Angeal!"

Angeal winced slightly as an elbow made sharp contact with his ribs, he turned to let shout at the person whose elbow it was; but stopped upon noticing it was Rika…

"What?"

"Angeal; look!"

The SOLDIER allowed his gaze to follow his younger half-sister's hand to where she was pointing………a figure stood in the open doorway; listening to every word of what had just transpired………

"Jamie………"

The teenager turned on his heels as several faces turned in his direction; he hadn't gone to bed, as instructed, he'd went so far towards his sleeping quarters; then doubled back, determined to find out what the hell was going on………but know he wished he'd just did as he was told in the first place; there are something's that a teenager should never have to hear………

"I'll go after him…" 

Genesis stood from where he'd been leaning against a wall and began following the youth; it was his fault after all…wasn't it?

* * *

"This isn't fucking happening!"

Jamie unintentionally allowed the shout to escape his lips as he entered a training hall, having run out of places to go; every other place in the building was occupied; either by ShinRa staff, AVALANCHE or his family; he had a massive pain in his head and right then; all he wanted to do was vent!

The youth began to walk across the vast hall; oblivious to the door opening at the end he'd just entered…

Genesis watched the teenager for several seconds before summoning his voice, aware of how worked up the youngster was getting, but who could blame him?

"Jamie…"

"Fuck off!"

"Are you okay?"

At this; Jamie spun, a sarcastic, yet slightly demented grin on his face;

"Oh yeah! I fucking just dandy I am! Use your goddamn brain, will you! I just over-heard you lot on about this degenerative thing I have, and Hojo telling you I'm gonna die………I'm over the fucking moon over here! Can't you hear the happiness in my voice?!"

"For a start; calm down-"

"Calm down? How about you calm the fuck down Grandpa! Coz I seriously don't feel like it! I'm sure you were as quiet as a little kitten when it happened to you, weren't you! I'm fucking seventeen, I don't want to fucking die; I don't even have a girlfriend!"

Genesis remained silent; not knowing how to reply to this statement, he wanted to grin, but figured it wasn't the best time for such a thing…

"Come on, your-"

"Fuck off!"

Genesis bit his tongue slightly feeling his temper start to rise; he couldn't get a word in edgeways with the humour his grandson was in………and the fact that every sentence aimed for him was curse laced only seemed to add to the shortening of his patience...

"Jamie-"

_**"Fuck off!"**_

"Enough with the cursing! Giving out is not going to fix anything! Shouting at me is not either! So just listen to me for two minutes!"

Jamie spun where he stood, now thoroughly pissed off, the angrier he became; the worse the pain in his head became, he smirked as new thought entering his head;

"Ha! Listen to you?! Fucking listen to you...this is all your fault _**Granddad**_!"

Genesis couldn't ignore the sarcasm that laced the last word, he kept his glowing gaze fixed on the hot-headed youth, mentally putting his guard up, aware of what the youth was capable of and his unpredictability when pissed off...

"How is this my fault?"

"You and your stupid fucking DNA! It's coz of you I'm a weirdo back at Balamb; that no other person my own age'll even come near me! It's coz of you I'm a fucking monster! Look at me! Really look at me here; coz of you I have Mako eyes, coz of you I have Jenova Cells, coz of you I have G Substance, coz of you I have one stupid fucking black wing, and coz of you I'm gonna die!"

Jamie shook his head as his Grandfather remained silent; _great! Fucking great! Now he knows, and he'll go off telling mom! Ahhhh! Fucking brilliant; now I feel guilty! Stupid fucking conscience!_

The teenager forced himself to turn back around, aware that he'd been way out of step to say what he had...

"I shouldn't have said that-"

"No, you had every right to; I apologise...but why are you so angry lately?"

Jamie shrugged shoulders and sat heavily down in the front row of the bleachers, he'd always been like that, he'd just learned to hide it was all...

"Talk to me; what the hell is going on with you?"

Genesis kept his gaze locked onto the youth as he spoke this; the Jamie they'd all watched grow up had been cheeky and upbeat...but he'd just caught a glimpse of a totally different person; and that person was angry and ready to lash out at anyone...Jamie sighed defeatedly, the pain in his head lessening as his anger drained...

"I don't know anymore...everything just seems to be getting harder; I feel alone; and I know I'm not; I have Mom, Dad, Alex and everyone else, but I still feel like I'm shouting and shouting and no one's fucking listening to me...I feel like I'm drowning and no one's offering me a hand...and these fucking headaches!"

The hazel-haired youth got back to his feet as the pain in his head returned; but this time with a vengeance! He looked to his grandfather; but this time; a sense of overwhelming disgust and hatred filled his senses...all of which seemed directed towards the red-coated individual...

_**"Jamie!"**_

Genesis was forced to act quickly as a blast of Fira Magic was sent towards him; the SOLDIER flexed his black feathered wing and launched himself out of the teenager's line of fire...The revered man watched from above, completely at a loss of what to think; he looked at the teen, locking glowing eyes with the youth's; but something was different; there was no recognition in the seventeen year old's irises...he shouted again, but the youngster didn't even register the voice; just aimed another blast...

_**"Jamie, look at me!"**_

Jamie looked around quickly, unaware how he'd gotten to his feet, or how he'd managed to get to the middle on the hall; he followed the direction his hand was outstretched in and felt his eyes widen as he realised whom it was he was aiming for;_ his grandfather_...

"What the hell -_** ahhh**_!"

The last thing Jamie registered before his head hit the cold, hard tiled floor, was an unbearable pain in his head and two voices; one, he knew, was his grandfathers', and had been his own name, but the second, he didn't know whom it belonged to; a female's voice; low and somewhere between a hiss and a whisper; _I can save you; don't fight me human..._


	6. Teenagers

"What went on between you two Dad?"

Christi looked from her son lying in a bed in the medical wing to her father standing in the doorway; watching………it was only them three in the ward; the rest of ShinRa, AVALANCHE and the gang from Balamb having congregated in another corner of the vast base to allow the family some breathing space, and Seifer having departed all of twenty minutes ago as Alex had fallen asleep as he'd offered to bring to her bed…

Genesis thought for several minutes, mentally running over what _**had**_ actually transpired in the training hall, before he walked the several paces from the doorway to an unoccupied seat by his grandson's bed………

"To be honest Christi………I have no idea, has he been complaining of headaches lately?"

"Mmmm, a couple of times, more so in the past couple of weeks, but every time I tried to make an appointment with the doctor, be fobbed it off on something, like; being up late that night and then having to get up early the next morning…why?"

"Well; he was angry, he kind of lost the head with me, but calmed down quick enough after venting…but………"

Genesis trailed off for several moments, trying to find a way to word what he'd seen………

"But; he changed, he attacked and used Fira…but I don't think he knew he was doing it………"

Christi tore her gaze away from the unconscious figure of her son and fixed it upon her father's confused face;

"What d'you mean _**didn't know**_?"

The red-coated SOLDIER shrugged slightly, still remembering the look that had been present in the seventeen year olds' eyes………

"I don't know myself; but he didn't recognise me…and then when he did snap out of it; he was confused – unsure of how he'd gotten to where he was or why he was aiming another blast at me………but before all that; he'd let shout about the headaches…I don't know if they're connected in anyway, but it seems a bit coincidental………"

Both hazel-reddish haired individuals looked back to the youth as he groaned slightly in his sleep………both unaware of what was happening within the confines of his young mind………

* * *

"_Why_ _do you continue to fight me Jamie?"_

"_Who are you? What d'you want?"_

"_I want to help you, I know what will inevitably become of your body…I can stop it…if you allow me that is………

* * *

_

"Christi…he doesn't get on with the other youngster's at Balamb, does he?"

Christi shook her head, aware of how many times her son had been involved in fights, or more so; pushed into fights………and why; because he was different……….kids could be so cruel at times…

"No, he usually ends up hanging around us when he's not in classes or in lectures, and if not with us; then he's gone off on his own or he's brought Alex with him flying around the training fields…he dotes on her………"

Christi trailed off as Jamie came to and sat up, rather quickly, in his bed………the youth looked around, confused as to where he now was, he looked back to the two individuals;

"I am so confused right now………"

* * *

"This is boring! Let's go find out what's happening!"

Charlie ShinRa jumped to his feet as the last of his patience wore out; he hated sitting around doing nothing, especially when there was something he wasn't being told!

"Where're off to ShinRa!?"

The brown haired youth only grinned as he turned, whilst still walking towards the door;

"To see if Jamie's okay………then to one of the Turks Lounges to watch the music channels, not sure what I'm doin after that, but you're welcome to come………"

"Oh; haha smart ass!"

Mike Highwind only smirked as he, too, got to his feet and followed the smart-mouthed heir to ShinRa, closely followed himself by the four females of the little gang; Elmyra, Aj, San and Jenny………

* * *

"I'm fine Mom…sorry Grandpa, I seriously don't know what got into me………weird though!"

Christi made to say something but was cut off as the door to the near empty ward opened and in walked a group of six teenagers, she smiled as she realised it wasn't and errand they were on, they were there to recruit another member to their band of friends………

Elmyra jumped onto the end of the youths' bed, her shimmering violet eyes fixed on the inhabitant of the bed, as her father's inherited forwardness took over;

"Haha; you're awake Jamie! You fair shocked us! And you godmother; Selphie…is it? Well, she was like _**freaking**_ out boy! And then she hit the other blonde, the one with the tattoo…Zell; I think his name is, either way; he got a belt from her! Fair funny stuff to watch…Reno got it on his phone and all! Hey, you allowed out now, we're goin to one the Lounges to hang out coz it's boring stuff just sitting around listening to all the adults! We just spent over an hour doing that – _**soooo**_ not fun! You coming?"

Jamie nodded, grinning as he noticed the wide eyes of his mother and Grandfather, who were still trying to figure out the list of things the ebony-haired youth had just said………

"See you later mom!"

And with that the hoard of teenagers were gone…Christi looked from the now empty bed to the half-open door, then back to her equally shocked father;

"What just happened?"

Genesis shrugged;

"I would tell you if I knew………teenagers confuse me…"

* * *

"Do not attempt to change that channel Highwind!"

Mike grinned maliciously as he made to change channel, knowing it'd annoy the hell out of Elmyra! But he never got a chance to press the button on the remote control as it was plucked from his hand with unnatural speed; he looked to his now empty hand, then to the grinning Jamie, who now had the remote control in his hand;

"I happen to like Fightstar!"

"Oooow, d'ja hear that Elmyra??? He likes dat band aswell…oh de two of ye are in for an unmerciful slaggin!"

Charlie only grinned as he watched the newest teenager;

"Don't side with the females Rhapsodos, we're outnumbered as it is! We need you! It's every male for himself when it comes to that certain time of the month…it's real scary shit! They all go into this pissed off mode, then you try to cheer them up and they just start crying, then you try to sympathize and they get angry again, then it's into bitch mode! _**Hey now!**_ Watch it San! That could have done some serious damage, that could have!"

Jamie only laughed as San whipped off her other sneaker and threw it after the second towards the brown-haired, blue-eyed instigator! He grinned to himself as Charlie then refused to give them back to the youngster, holding them above his head as he toward over her, San wasn't exactly what you'd call _**tall**_!

Jenny laughed as her friend jumped but still failed to reclaim her shoes, the crimson eyed teenager turned to face Jamie, a grin still upon her pale face;

"Giver her hand will you Jamie; he'll do that all day if he could!"

"Jump short stuff!"

"I swear to Minerva ShinRa; if you don't give me my runners back, I'll give a kick into the stones!"

Charlie paused for several seconds, debating the likely hood of him actually getting harmed in such a way, but before he managed to come to a conclusion; the sneakers were gone and he was left there standing there like and eejit!

"What the hell? You turn-coat Jamie! You're supposed to be on our side!"

Jamie grinned from where he now stood behind one to the sofa, having given San back her sneakers…

"Nah; if you can't beat them; join them!"

"I heard you've a wing, like your granddads', is that true?"

Jamie tore his gaze away from the television as he heard Jenny's voice, he looked to the Wutain princess, slightly apprehensive of how to answer this query; usually as soon as he answered the teenagers turned their backs on him…that's what had happened back at Balamb time and time again………but he never got a chance to answer………Mike did it for him;

"Yeah; it's mad! He used it before you showed up girl, then his Mom shouted at him coz he went off flyin around de hall with his little sister!"

Jenny smiled as she sat back on the sofa, thinking out loud;

"I'd love to have a wing…you could go anywhere you wanted; not tied down to any one place………you'd be free."

Jamie sat bolt upright on the sofa, slightly taken aback by their reactions;

"Hold up a second here! None of you are freaked out or think it's weird or that I'm a monster or anything?"

Aj shook her blonde head, her shimmering cerulean eyes slightly confused;

"Why would we be? Having a wing's deadly!"

"It's just; back at Balamb…well; everyone there considered me a freak………"

"Fuck Balamb; you're in Edge now! This whole place is full of freaks! So we'll all be one big happy freaky family of misfits in that case! Deal?"

Jamie grinned all the wider as he leaned back down on the sofa at Elmyra's statement;

"Deal!"

* * *

A/N; Awww, Jamie gets accepted!!!Yay! But what about the degenerating...and that freaky little voice in his head????Oo 


	7. The Last Chance

_Don't look, don't look; it won't hurt as much if you don't look………_But despite his self assurance; Jamie _**did **_flinch slightly as the needle entered his skin…god how he hated needles! But the last few days had just served to add to the teenager's dislike of the pointed metallic pricks…the week had passed extraordinarily rapid after it had been confirmed that the youth had inherited the ailment that had harrowed his grandfather before him. But in the last few days; the teenager had undergone several similar procedures; all of which involved the blood of another member of SOLDIER, in essence; their Jenova Cells………but out of Cloud, Genesis, Zack and now the last; Rika……..not one had done as what was desirable; halt the degeneration. Rika's was his last chance; there was no point in using his mother's even his little sister's; Hojo had said it himself; the degeneration had built up an immunity to the Cells of its host; his cells…their cells………Despite the fact of what was going on; the teenager refused to revert back to the anger he'd shown only a week ago, the only person to have been on the receiving end of his temper with only Gaia knew how long had been his grandfather…but inside; his stomach was in a knot; so far that week; his body had rejected three other sets of cells; resulting with him becoming ill, but the more his body rejected the substances that were injected; the more ill his reaction had been………was it wrong for the youth to want to live? Or was he just being self-centred?

"Mom, we're going to one of the lounges…"

Christi nodded as her son stood back up as the needle was withdrawn from his arm………all week she'd been putting on a brave face, for his sake, not hers; it would have served to be extremely encouraging for the youth to see his mother crying…wouldn't it? But every night she prayed and cried to Minerva…begging for her son's life………but on one ever answered her prayers.

"Jamie, can I come with you?"

Jamie turned, from where he'd already half exited the hall with the other teenagers, to see his little sister looking up at him………only then he realised how much he'd actually been ignoring her of late; he may have finally found the friends' he'd longed to have, but that didn't mean he had to lose the only one he'd had!

"C'mon Alex, course you can hun!"

Alex smiled as she ran towards her older brother, gladly taking his hand as they walked through the door………

* * *

Rika smiled to herself as she watched the door close behind the youths; it seemed that some of her friends _**had **_found happiness in their lives…none of their pasts were what one could describe as; perfect or picturesque…but that had no right to deprive them of a hopeful future…had it?

"_He will be the downfall of us all, you know it to be true………so why not eliminate him before he becomes the threat he most certainly will?"_

The young-looking woman shook her head, as a small female whisper echoed throughout the confines of her consciousness………what the hell was she thinking?! More so; _**why**_?

* * *

"It has been confirmed…the youth does have the degeneration."

Sephiroth smirked darkly upon hearing Weiss' statement…this may have just made things a whole lot easier………Rika's sudden reappearance had set him on guard, especially when he'd been most certain he'd left her for dead in the burning ruins of Nibelheim…but, obviously; he'd underestimated his former lover greatly………still though; this recent revelation would be capable of swinging things their way if played the correct way………

"Good, he is young…and easily manipulated………"

* * *

"Jamie, why's Mommy sad?"

"Huh?"

Jamie down to his little sister upon hearing this, he hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary with his Mom, or Dad, for that matter. But maybe he hadn't been paying enough attention………

"Tell me how Mom's sad Alex…"

The little four year old shrugged her shoulders slightly; she didn't understand any of what was happening…maybe she was lucky in that sense though.

"Mommy was crying last night before I went to bed; Daddy had to hug her to make her stop; Daddy looked sad too………Jamie; are you sick?"

The youth put on a smile as his sister asked this; he wasn't about to be the one to end her innocent way of viewing the world; she still had some years left before that illusion would be called to a halt…

"What makes you think that?

"That's what Mommy cries about; I think she's sad because you're sick…"

Jamie shook his head as he noticed the other five youths listening;

"Nah; I'm fine…why; do I look sick?"

Alex smiled as her older brother asked this; she always liked the way she felt safe near him; he always looked out for her…she smiled all the wider, as did Jamie, as she wrapped her small arms around his neck in a hug………

"No…I'm happy you're okay Jamie…….."

* * *

"Why did you lie to her?"

San looked to Jamie accusingly as he sat on the sofa; Alex having fallen asleep on his chest…the youth shrugged;

"Dunno; didn't really feel like telling a four year old that her older brother's gonna get really old, really quickly if someone else's cells don't stop it…how about you?"

San shook her head of hazel hair; it was true when you put it that way! She sat heavily on the sofa beside the glowing-eyed youth, thoroughly bored; the other teenagers were over by the fridge; searching for any edible content within…but it seemed as if Reno had devoured all!

Jamie shot a glance to the Turks' daughter, then to the other youths, he took a deep breath; realising if he didn't ask now, he'd never get her on her own again………

"San…"

"Mmmm hmm?"

"Eh…d'you fancy goin out sometime?"

San stared in amazement at the reddish/hazel haired seventeen year old…a small smile crossed her lips as she thought back to a few days previous; she had been the one enquiring whether he had a girlfriend or not back at Balamb, albeit through Elmyra, Jenny and Aj………She nodded her head adamantly, grinning as she spoke;

"Sure…just out of curiosity here now; did any of the girls say anything to you lately?"

Jamie thought back a bit, and then grinned his inherited enigmatic grin;

"Elmyra asked if I've a girlfriend, Aj asked if I wanted a girlfriend, Jenny made a point of telling me you didn't have a boyfriend, and then made a point out of the fact that the two of us were single, and then Elmyra said it was obvious I fancied you, so either I asked you off, or she said she would………but other than that; no not really!"

San just shook her head and placed it in her hands, still grinning somewhat;

"I'll kill them three; I ask them to be inconspicuous…and they do the goddamn opposite!"

* * *

"Ooooo! Love is in the air mo cairde!" _my friends_

Christi, among the other adults all turned as the gaelic accent was heard entering the room as the door to the control room opened; Cait Sith looked up, a satisfied grin on his animatronic features………

Christi looked down to the annoying little fur ball, lightly bemused by air of knowing that surrounded the crowned feline…

"Fancy explaining then?"

"Ach, a little birdie told me that two of the little kiddies have taken a fancy to one another…awww; young love, eh?"

Both Christi and Seifer shot each other a glance, well aware of what young love could lead to………

"Fancy enlightening us as to which two?"

The animatronic feline simply turned his back on the crowd with a satisfied swish of his tail; now sure he had them all hooked;

"Níl, where would the fun be in that now?"

"Dunno; but I can tell you the where fun in watching a doberman chase you around the building would be………unless you spill fur ball!"

The red-caped cat froze in response to Christi's statement, and then turned, a small smile still playing on his features;

"Point taken lass; it's your buacháill agus Tseng's cáilín!"

And with that the little cat was gone; leaving Christi as confused as ever, she looked to Reeve in the hope that he could decipher the cat's half English and half Irish message………Reeve smiled, despite himself, as he answered, being well used to his little creation throwing irish terminology into everyday things;

"He said the two teenagers are Jamie and San………"

"We'll check on them yo!"

Without even waiting for an answer; both Reno and Rod were out the door, honestly though; the two redheads would have done anything to avoid working if they could!

* * *

"Throw me over that blanket, will ya Charlie?"

The company heir did as instructed and caught the blanket that was draped over the back of one of the sofas and threw it to Jamie…

"Thanks…"

The seventeen year old smiled as he lay Alex down on the sofa, placing the blanket over her small sleeping frame. But as he stood up, the ground seemed to sway beneath his feet………

"Shit…"

The youth crashed to the ground as pain flared into life throughout his body, he cried out despite his attempts to bite his tongue………

* * *

"Jamie!"

San was the first to notice the youth sway on his feet, but by the time the other four had turned around; he was already thrashing around on the carpeted floor of the Turks' Lounge………

_**"Jamie?"**_

San turned her attention to the little girl who had just woken and sat up on the sofa; her glowing blue eyes now fixed on her older brother's frame………San did the only thing she could think of at that moment in time; she caught the young girl up and ran for the door in search of help, and partly because she knew Jamie wouldn't want his little sister to see what was happening to him………

* * *

"Hey, slow down yo! You nearly ran us over, I heard about you and Jamie!"

Reno grinned as his god-daughter came tearing around the corner of a corridor, a crying Alex in her arms, it didn't take the laid-back Turk long to realise something was wrong, San's face was white and the child in her arms was crying...

"San, what happened yo?"

San shook her head, still confused herself;

"Jamie…you have to help Jamie Reno! He's in the Lounge, but…"

Reno shook his head as San continued to babble on, he couldn't make any sense of what the eighteen-year-old was saying…he quickly looked to his partner in crime and nodded to the still crying child;

"Rod, take them two back to the control room and tell the other's to try and calm them down, I'll find out what's happening yo…"

* * *

Cissnei looked up as the door to the Lounge opened, she had only come in a few minutes ago on her break and found the remaining five teenagers trying to bring Jamie around to his senses………

"Reno; give me a hand!"

The redheaded Turk wasted no time in doing as instructed, he bent down beside the younger Turk, he looked to the youth on the floor, and after several seconds of puzzlement, it clicked;

"Cissnei; we've to get him to the medical wing now yo! It's the Jenova Cells…his body's rejecting them again!"

* * *

_**A/N; Oh no! Poor Jamie just can't be lucky, can he? That's the last of the eligible cells his body had rejected…what options to they have left now? Find out in the next chapter peoples!**_

_**Renolvr out:-P**_


	8. A Family Divided

_**A/N; Again; sorry this took so long to update people, got swamped with homework and other stuff………but here it is now! BTW; if you don't like cussing; then don't read this, there's a lot towards the end!

* * *

**__Mom…If you're listening; then please help………please, I don't want to watch my son die………Minerva isn't helping; you're my last hope Mom………_

Christi allowed a tear to roll down her cheek as she finished her silent prayer; she knew her mother had, in the past, helped with certain aspects that had happened to her family; it had been Alex who had helped Christi to fight back Jenova the night Genesis had been poisoned with the JXG formula…it had been Alex to convince the Ancients to allow Genesis a second chance…was a third miracle too much to ask for?

A mere week had passed since the incident in the Turk's Lounge…and everything just seemed to be getting harder all of a sudden; Jamie was still in the medical room, unconscious for days now, Christi hadn't once left her son's bedside, even though she, herself, was about to crack; Genesis felt guilt beyond anything he had ever felt before; as far as he was concerned; it was his fault this was happening, his grandson had inherited the degeneration from him…Alex didn't know what to think; she may have only been young; but anyone could have picked up on the aspect of something being wrong………and in amidst it all; Seifer was just trying to keep his family together; even though it seemed to be coming apart at the very seams……..everything that had taken so long to build was slowly falling down once more; his family………

"Christi; c'mon babe…he'll be fine for a while – you need some rest-"

"I don't feel like sleeping right now Seifer………"

Seifer sighed as he continued looking at the back of his wife's head; he knew she was worried, but what would exhausting herself achieve?

"I know; but running yourself into the ground isn't goin to help anyone-"

"Just leave me alone, I'm not tired!"

The blonde father blinked with surprise at the venomous tone his wife's voice had taken on…things were like that lately; the only communication between the two had become cold remarks and arguing………it was as if an invisible barrier had fallen between the two, and for once in their eighteen years as a couple; neither seemed capable of over-coming it………

"Don't jump down my throat! I'm only worried about you!"

Christi glanced up from her seat; eerie eyes flashing with anger…what right had he to correct her?! The woman looked from her husband to her son, then stood; walking out of the hospital room, unwilling to argue within it for fear of disturbing her son………Seifer followed her; closing the door behind him…the door handle had only clicked back into its' original position when the shit hit the fan…

"Worried about me? Me! What about your son? You're acting as if nothing's fucking happened! Have you any heart Almasy!"

Christi pointed to the closed door as she shouted...why couldn't he see it her way? She was right…well; at least that's what she believed……..

"Don't you dare play the guilt card Christi! I've spent the last week watching you – no wait; I haven't, you've been here every minute of every day! For fuck sake; think about it for a minute, will you!? I am worried about Jamie – of course I am! I'm his father, but I can't spend every second, every minute of everyday by his bedside, there're other things to deal with here aswell!!!"

Christi snorted indignantly as she heard this….what could be more important to a parent than the well fare of their child?

"Tch! Like what!?"

Seifer shrugged his shoulders in a sarcastic fashion, anger beginning to boil over at this stage…she just didn't seem to be getting it!

"Uhh, hmmm…I dunno; what about your daughter for a start? She's four Christi, she hasn't a clue what the fuck's going on; her brother's lying in a bed, her Mom and Dad are constantly arguing and her mother's ignoring her!"

* * *

Several heads within the main computer hall of ShinRa turned as raised voices were heard from outside in the corridor…AVALANCHE and the rest wasted no time in rushing to the door for a clear view of the happenings outside………

* * *

Christi felt a sharp stabbing sensation in her gut as his words fell upon her ears – she wasn't ignoring her daughter…was she? No! He was lying, that was all………

_**Slap!**_

"Don't you ever say that again Seifer!"

Seifer looked back to his wife, his left cheek stinging as a result of her slap…this wasn't the woman he'd married, he didn't know who this woman was anymore………

"I can't get through to you at all…can I?"

The blonde turned his back and began walking down the corridor – away from his wife and the onlookers…but he'd only managed to walk three or four feet when she spoke again;

"Don't you dare walk away from me! Co-"

"Don't go there Christi…I'm going somewhere to calm down before I say something I might regret…"

"Typical – you're gonna walk off; just like that! You're a _**coward**_ Almasy!"

"Back off Christi! I'm warning you-"

"Warning me of what?! You're a coward and you know it! You sided with Edea in the end…_didn't you_?"

There was no denying what he had done in the past; but it certainly didn't give her the right to use it against him!

"Yeah; I did! But at least _**she **_never got fucking laid by a remnant…_now did she_?

The last syllable had left his mouth before Seifer had even thought about what he was indeed saying…he mentally cursed himself as he saw the hurt swimming within her glowing grey eyes; he had no right on Gaia to taunt her over such a thing; it had been something that had constantly been the source of her nightmares………his regret was short lived though; as Christi began shouting abuse at him with renewed vigour;

"You fucking bastard! That's all you are; an out-and-out bastard!"

"That's big; coming from a bitchy little whore like you!"

"At least I care for my son!"

"At least I'm not the one ignoring our four-year-old daughter! You know what it's like having no Mom; well so does she right now……….only difference being; yours' died; hers' is alive!"

"Leave my mother out of this you bollix!"

With that last foul-mouthed sentence thrown his way; Seifer shook his head, he quickly pulled something from the ring finger on his left hand and threw it on the ground at his wife's feet;

"I can't take your shit any longer Christi; we're through!"

* * *

_**A/N; Trouble in paradise, eh? Well; she did kind of leave him with no other option really…**_

_**Thanks for taking the time to read huns!**_

_**XXXXX**_

_**Renolvr:-P**_


	9. Assault

_**A/N; All the fics I've updated tonight have something similar to this posted on top it in an author's note; mainly because I want to get the message across and for you Lamb, I know you'll read this one; so here it is;**_

_**I've just gone through, more like; still am going through a really though part of my life right now...it's getting better, but it's still hard...a couple of days ago I seriously just didn't know anymore...the only reason I'm here typing now is because of Retro Lamb - she cared enough to call me out on my problem, and for that I'll be forever thankful Lamb! Without you I seriously wouldn't know what would have happened...thank you.**_

* * *

Christi sunk to her knees as she realised what it was her husband had thrown to the ground at her feet before storming off; his golden wedding band……...as realization set in; so did the tears; in the three weeks that had passed since their arrival in Edge; her life had come tumbling down around her………was it her fault?

Selphie ran to her friend and wrapped an arm around her; offering the support only true friends were capable of giving; she didn't say anything; just allowed Christi to cry away, listening and comforting, assuring her friend that all was not lost………(Lamb, thank you…).

* * *

Whilst this was happening; the rest of AVALANCHE and the others made a hasty departure; allowing the friends their privacy; aware of the seriousness of what had just transpired was………

"Hold it!"

Genesis stopped as a hand gripped his upper arm, halting him, the revered SOLDIER turned to see it was his friend who was stopping him from following Seifer…now in _Daddy _mode; he was ready to tear strips off of the blonde!

"What Angeal?"

Angeal looked straight into his friend's eerily glowing aqua eyes as he spoke;

"This isn't your fight; it's theirs'…if they are going to have any hope of coming back from this; it will be done without the help of any of us!"

* * *

"What Rinoa?!"

Squall finally cracked under the constant stare he was receiving from his wife; he knew that look…he knew what she wanted him to do…. NO WAY!

"Go talk to him-"

"Do me and Seifer Almasy strike you as the best of buddies?! No – we've never been friends! You go talk to him…or send Raijin or Fujin; anyone but me!"

No reply came; just _that_ stare again………after several stony minutes of silence; Squall groaned and got to his feet, heading for the nearest door;

"You _**so**_ owe me!"

* * *

Seifer looked up from where he'd been throwing his clothes and belongings into a bag, he'd been expecting Christi…even Genesis or Angeal………who he definitely _hadn't _been expecting was Squall Leonhart!

"What the hell d'you want?!"

Squall remained silent for several seconds as he registered the half-packed bag on the double bed…then looked back to his past adversary, shock evident on every inch of his face;

"You're leaving?"

"You're quick off the mark aren't you? Yeah; I am…what about it?"

"But; what about Christi? You can't just throw so much away like this!"

The next thing Squall became aware of was the wall against his back and hands gripping the front of his jacket, pinning him there………

"Don't go there Leonhart! I've had enough of this shit for one day!"

"She's your wife; you can't just abandon her!"

"She's shutting us all out; I can't help her if she won't let me!"

With one last push; Seifer relinquished his grip and turned his back to Squall…but whereas he may have been willing to leave it there; the other wasn't; Squall pushed the matter…

"You promised to stick by her no matter what! And you have done in the past – what makes thing's different this time around?!"

"Simple; it doesn't just concern our welfares anymore; it concerns Jamie's and Alex's aswell…I've already failed one of my kids; I'm damned if I'm gonna watch Alex get hurt aswell!"

* * *

"Selphie; what am I after doing?! I've ruined everything! He hates me!"

Selphie shook her head; she held her friend tight as the tears rolled down Christi's pale cheeks…

"Shush…you haven't hun, don't worry; he'll calm down in a bit, c'mon now; everything's gonna be fine………"

* * *

"I want to say something smart – but I don't want to get hurt yo!"

Reno looked around the training hall as he said this; Reno being Reno had already formulated countless smart comments to correspond with what had just happened; but for once in his life; the Turk was using his brain (OMFG!!!) – he could either risk it and leave out some of the comments that were literally burning his tongue as he bit them back, and with that risking the wrath of Genesis, Angeal, probably Selphie…and pretty much everyone else…or he could keep his mouth shut and play it safe, he just wasn't sure yet……….

* * *

Genesis cast his eerily glowing aqua gaze around the expansive hall; he smiled slightly upon noticing his granddaughter sitting on her godfather, Raijin's, shoulders', she smiled innocently as her eyes met his………how lucky she was to not realize all that was going on; all she knew was that Jamie was a bit sick and her Mommy and Daddy were working…that's all; plain and simple………

* * *

Seifer looked up to face the man, of whom he'd spent his youth butting heads with, with the intention of telling him to get the fuck out of his room and stop eye-balling him…but just as the father took a breath to let rip his insult; the very HQ itself seemed to shake down to it's foundations as an almighty blast echoed through the air………

Without so much as a word; both males raced from the room; momentarily united as both were aware of where the blast had emanated from and who had been in the vicinity…

* * *

Christi groaned as she pulled herself from the rubble that now filled the corridor her and Selphie had been in…she looked around at the scene; dust filled the wrecked hallway, making it hard to see and breath; she coughed as the dust caught in her lungs…_what the hell happened?!_ The last thing she had been aware of was Selphie comforting her then………this. She cringed as another blast shook the building………

"Owwwww!"

Selphie sat up as she brushed dust and small debris from her body and rubbed the back of her head…her emerald eyes landed on her stunned friend and immediately shot wide;

"Christi – you're bleeding!"

Christi acted on instinct and raised her hand to the back of her paining head; she felt something warm and sticky there…she, too, felt her eyes shoot wide and her stomach churn as she took her hand away and stared at it; blood dripping from it………without another word; the mother's eyes rolled back in their sockets and she fell sideways………

* * *

"Alex! Alex…where are you!?"

Genesis looked around erratically in search of his young granddaughter; he couldn't see a thing; dust clogged the air; limiting his line of sight…every now and then a flash caught the corner of his eye; signalling some live wires were present in the ruins of the ShinRa Headquarters…he only prayed these sparks didn't meet any of the ruptured gas pipes or else they'd be in some serious shit!

"I've got her, y'know?"

He recognised that voice as Raijin's, most probably thanks' to the choice questioning term placed at the end of the sentence…

* * *

"Rika…you still in one piece?"

Angeal attempted to peer through the thick clouds of billowing dust in order to see his sister…but he may aswell have been trying to look through a brick wall…

"Yeah; I'm no worse for wear Angeal!"

The SOLDIER smirked as he recognised her voice from amidst the confusion………

* * *

"Dad? _**Dad!"**_

Elmyra quickly gazed around her; she'd already spotted her mother over with Tifa, but no matter where her shimmering violet eyes scanned; she couldn't locate her cheeky father………

Another blast shook the building; sending a wall blowing inwards; showering all within with fresh rubble and shrapnel………

* * *

"_**CHRISTI!"**_

Selphie shook her friend all the harder; shouting through her tears for the woman to come to…but no matter how hard she shook or shouted; Christi's eyes remained shut as her breathing grew laboured………

As he rounded the corner of the ruined corridor; Seifer felt his heart skip a beat as his blue irises came to rest on Christi's unconscious frame…whatever argument they had had only a half an hour ago mattered no more; she was hurt, and bad by the looks of it, nothing else mattered to the man at that moment in time than his wife's safety; screw the whole scene the two had created earlier!

"Christi! C'mon Brighteyes; wake up –** _please_**………I'm sorry; I was being thick-headed as usual………"

Seifer swallowed the painful lump in his throat as he picked up Christi's light and unresponsive frame………

* * *

"Azul is proving to be the perfect distraction…"

Sephiroth half smirked as he said this; it had been a well thought out assault on their part this time around; create a distraction, slip in, get the boy, kill anyone who got in their way, and get out with what they'd come for…simple really; especially when everyone had been caught off guard by the blasts!

Loz smirked as his brother said this; for once, they had the upper hand! His smirk only grew all that more as he hoisted an unconscious teenager from his bed and over his shoulder, then turned and followed the Nightmare………

* * *

"Cloud – I can't find Dad!"

Cloud looked around as he registered his goddaughter's voice, his shimmering cerulean eyes came to rest on an extremely agitated looking Elmyra…he nodded and began searching through the rubble in search of his elusive friend………

Zack grinned to himself, despite the predicament he was in…but, in his eyes; if you couldn't laugh at something; then you were well and truly fucked!

The SOLDIER was really stuck in a tight spot; he'd been the one nearest the wall that had been blown apart with the first blast………he now lay beneath he majority of the remains of the wall, pinned by a large slab of concrete that pressed down on his back harder and harder with every passing second; he could here them all calling his name; but he couldn't call back; his chest could barely move enough to draw a breath let alone enough to shout out………_at least I didn't get shot this time!_ Again; the wiry 1st Class was well aware that now was not the best time for his cheeky mouth; but he seriously couldn't resist! But just as he thought this; the colossal concrete slab shifted….Zack gasped as he felt several of his ribs snap like match sticks beneath the pressure……..

"Hey; over here!"

Angeal let the shout out as his Mako-induced hearing picked up on the faintest sound of a gasp, after a few seconds of searching; his eyes came to rest on a particularly large slab, under which the sound had emanated………

"Hold on just a minute Zack…"

Zack grinned as he spoke;

"Would if I could Angeal…"

And with that; his shimmering violet eyes rolled back into his head...

* * *

_**A/N; Shit! Will Christi and Zack pull through? Will Seifer get to tell his wife to her face that he's sorry? What's gonna happen when everyone realizes that Jamie's gone?????**_


	10. Reprucussions

Between Angeal, Barret, Cid and a couple of the Turks; the concrete slab was lifted enough for another to skeet down and pull the cheeky 1st Class to safety………Cloud slid under the slab and pulled his unconscious friend to safety, whispering to himself as he did so;

"My turn this time…"

Aerith wrapped her arms around her hysterical eighteen-year-old hysterical daughter and held her tight; whispering the words of comfort that all mothers' just seemed to be born with, Elmyra was, quiet literally, freaking out!

* * *

Rufus ShinRa turned full circle as he took in the severity of the damage; the base was in total ruins, barely one wall was left fully standing – and the ones that were; were now dangerously unstable, threatening to fall at even the slightest force…one thing was for sure; they needed to get out - and get out now! The place was too dangerous; ruptured gas mains hissed throughout the expansive, and now ruined, building; poisoning the lungs of all that remained within and threatening to take flame from the malicious sparks of exposed live wires………the company owner turned as he heard debris shifting; his blue eyes shot wide as he caught a glimpse of blonde hair – without so much as another moments' hesitation; Rufus instinctively ran towards the injured youth and pulled Aj clear of the dangerous confines of the rubble………

"_**Aj!"**_

Denzel half ran, half stumbled over to where Rufus held his little sister, worry shot through the young man as he took her limp frame from the head of ShinRa – Aj was the baby of the Strife family; if anything happened to her, it'd break Cloud and Tifa's hearts!

* * *

"Hey, c'mon yo! Wake up already Charlie…"

Reno continued talking to the youth as he hoisted him up from the ground on which he'd lay…the teenagers had been skitting and joking amongst he bleachers upon the first blast…the first blast had demolished the whole left of the training hall; the wall on which Zack had been leaning against and the wall on which the bleachers had been stacked against………

The company heir groaned lowly as he began to come around; pain flaring into life as his senses returned………

* * *

"Angeal, Rika; check outside – see what is going on…I'm going to check the halls…"

Both brother and half-sister nodded their heads at Genesis' order; then both turned and headed for the nearest exit………

Genesis ventured over mounds of demolished walls and dust as he made his way further into the hearth of the broken HQ…his head spun with numerous un-answered questions; _what happened? Why the hell did they decided to launch an outright assault on the HQ – yes; it is a good strategy, but it is unlike anything they have done previously…what do they want this time…_

The red-coated SOLDIER froze mid-step as a single thought reverberated throughout his mind; _**Jamie**_………

_**"No!"**_

Genesis felt the breath leave his body as his glowing gaze came to rest on an empty bed…they did have him! But for what reasons did they want the youth? The venerable SOLDIER had no time to ponder this alarming situation as his acute hearing, aided my the Mako in his genetic structure, picked up on the sound of footsteps outside………the hazel haired man, made his way meticulously through the debris and found his heart skip a beat as four figures met his gaze……...

* * *

"Angeal; down there!"

Angeal followed the direction Rika pointed in; from their vantage point high up they had gained a birds' eye view of all that had happened…more so, as Rika had indicated, who their assailants had been……….

But despite their quick reactions; neither Hewley sibling moved quick enough to prevent the escape of the group of adversaries…

"Fuck it!"

Angeal had just caught a glimpse of someone in the clutches of Azul before his, the Tsviets and Sephiroth, aswell as the remnants departures………

* * *

"Reeve; can you contact your medical personnel; inform them that there's two seriously injured adults on board, one with a severe head injury and five unconscious teenagers………"

Reeve nodded his hazel haired head as he withdrew his phone and set about alerting his WRO base of the incoming throng from Edge and the damage that had forced them to evacuate their own base………

* * *

"She's in a stable condition…for now. We still do not know the true damage her head injury will result in; we won't know until she comes to………"

Seifer nodded, a numbing sensation falling upon him…in the space of a morning; his family had been ripped apart; his marriage had been thrown on the rocks; his son had been abducted and now his wife lay in a coma………what the hell was he supposed to do with himself…everyone he loved was hurt, and he blamed himself – he was Jamie's father, it was his job to protect his son, it was his job to protect his wife………

"Daddy!"

Alex ran to where her father stood…Seifer turned and picked his young daughter up into his strong arms; he held her tight as she hugged him; he wasn't going to let anything happen to her, of that he was dead sure!

A solemn silence had since fallen upon the WRO base after had landed there, they'd been sent a radio transmission to alert them to ready the medical wing………so far it wasn't looking too promising; Christi was in an unresponsive coma, Zack wasn't far behind the woman, Aj, San, Jenny, Charlie and Mike were all in the wing also; they had all suffered broken bones, concussions and gas poisoning…none had come around yet.

Silence fell upon the WRO base as news spread of what had transpired in Edge, it wasn't good – not by any one's standards! A SOLDIER, 1st Class down, a senior See-D down, five teens down, and one abducted………

* * *

"But I-"

Selphie was cut short by a stern look from her husband; Irvine had just attempted to drag the woman away from the medical wing of the base…the way he saw it; it was a place for families right now; all the different parents had taken up vigils' by their child's bedside, refusing to leave until their prayers were satisfied…

"No Selphie…"

"But Christi's my best friend!"

"I know, but she's Seifer's wife, and Genesis' daughter…c'mon, for now anyway?"

The emerald-eyed female nodded her head defeatedly, Irvine was right…but she still couldn't help but care………

* * *

"Talk…"

Genesis looked up as an additional person entered the computer room he had been in…it certainly wasn't for the use of the computers that the SOLDIER had chosen this particular room; but for the solitude…he needed to think before he could act………

"I have nothing to talk about Angeal…"

Angeal sighed, as his shimmering eyes remained fixed upon his enigmatic friend, not believing him for even a second…

"The base had been fully searched; no sign of Hojo; he either got destroyed by one of the blasts or…he was taken along with Jamie………"

Genesis nodded his head upon hearing this, he had figured as much…but still one question remained; _why Jamie?_

"Where're you going?"

Genesis shrugged at Angeal's query as he continued walking from the room;

"To clear my head………"

* * *

Seifer held his wife's hand in his as the many tubes covered her bed and the beeps of medical contraptions echoed around her room, all he felt was guilt...

"Christi, please; if you can hear me…just know that I'm sorry – sorry for being such a fuck up…I know I failed Jamie, I know I failed you…but I didn't mean to………"


	11. Lies

**_A/N; This is kinda the turning point of the plot peoples...took me a good bit of thinking out here so reviews'd be very much appreciated! Thanks to Retro Lamb for the ongoing support, and the use of Rika!!! Trust me she's gonna have a major MAJOR role in the plot from here on it!!! Thanks everyone!_**

* * *

"Mmm..."

Jamie opened his eyes slowly and sat up in the bed he now lay in...After several seconds the youth became aware of his unfamiliar surroundings; he swung his legs out of the bed and stood up, trying to come to a conclusion as to his whereabouts, but despite his attempts; the location still remained one of a mystery...

"You are awake my darling..."

Despite his splitting headache; Jamie registered that Russian voice instantly...not good! The youth spun on his heels to face the Tsviet, but to his surprise; she made absolutely no attempt to react to his hostility...only smirked and began walking towards him...

"Do not be so quick to make enemies...that was your mother's mistake all those years ago - don't make the same one..."

"What the hell d'you want?!"

Jamie stared at the female Tsviet; he didn't trust her as far as he could throw her...but he was in no fit state to fight; he felt wrecked, his body ached all over and his head was threatening to split from the constant migraine that plagued him...Rosso allowed her features to take on a, somewhat, worried look; feigning sympathy in an attempt to gain the youth's trust...

"What I want is to help you...Jamie...your body had the degenerative gene, we can fix that..."

"Who's _**we**_?"

Rosso made no attempt to enlighten the teenager...just simply turned and walked to the door, she paused in the doorway; and looked back over her shoulder as she spoke;

"If you want answers; then follow me..."

Jamie remained rooted to the spot for several seconds as he mentally debated what to do………he knew in his very being that the Tsviets and Sephiroth, aswell as the three remnants were not trust-worthy…but maybe all he'd been told of them was biased…maybe it had all been an unintentional lie? They couldn't possibly be that bad if they were willing to help him…could they?

And on that note; the youth left the room…following the path the female Tsviet had taken only seconds earlier………

* * *

"Alex; what am I supposed to do? Christi's hurt and Jamie's missing………and it's my entire fault…"

Genesis fell silent as he gazed into the black inky night sky from where he sat atop an outcrop of rock, on one of the cliffs that surrounded the WRO base………he didn't know what to do; he could risk going to Midgar; to the Tsviets' previous base, and their most probable location now…he couldn't go alone though; it'd be definite suicide; Angeal would probable go if he asked him – but if Angeal went; then Rika would follow also………Genesis shook his hazel haired head; no – he knew all that had happened in Rika's past; he had no right to force her to face Sephiroth…she may not have been ready yet………that ruled Midgar out anyway.

"I'm so lost………I don't know what to do………"

Alex smiled sadly as she watched her husband; for once – she couldn't help him out…it's not that she didn't want to or anything…she was at a loss as to what to do aswell…from her position in the Promised Land; she was capable of influencing certain events in her loved ones' lives………except this one. Those had been the orders of the Ancients…and even though it went against her very being to do so; all Alex Yamamoto was permitted to do was to stand back and watch the events unfold………all she had been told was it wasn't as simple as it now looked; that two greater powers were now pulling the strings of destiny…and it just so happened that her family had been chosen………

_Sorry Genesis; but I actually have to play by the rules this time………

* * *

_

"Elmyra; talk to me hunnie…"

Elmyra Fair looked up as she heard the comforting voice of her mother…the youth took a breath and made to say something, but before she could voice her thoughts; the tears broke their banks………

"C'mere hun…"

Aerith wrapped her arms around the shaking frame of her teenage daughter…holding her and comforting her as the youth cried her eyes out;

"Mom…I'm scared – and I don't want to be; but look; Dad's hurt…Christi and all my friends are hurt and Jamie's missing………Mom; what do I do if Dad isn't okay?"

"Don't worry so much; that's not your job…none of this is your fault; so don't be so quick to take the burden…everything will work out………trust me Elmyra; there isn't a force on this planet that can keep your father down…not for long anyway."

* * *

"Why the fuck am I here? What the hell d'you lot want with me?!"

Jamie eyed the faces of his enemies with an air of hesitance, now aware it certainly wasn't the ShinRa base of the WRO base he was in………Weiss was the only person to offer the youth an explanation; maybe not a wholly truthful one; but and explanation nonetheless………

"We brought you here to help you Jamie………"

"Don't bullshit me! What the hell happened; where's my friends and family – what did you do to them!?!"

Weiss stood from where he'd been leaning against a wall, a look of regret appearing on his features…playing fully on his connection to the youth…aware of Jamie's loyalty and respect for his family………but also aware that guilt could certainly push things' their way if need be………

"We did nothing to your family or friends, and what transpired – do you not remember?"

Jamie suddenly felt his initial anger and guard waver slightly upon hearing the Tsviet's words…remember what exactly; what did he do?

"R…remember what?"

Weiss feigned surprise as he allowed his eyebrows to raise slightly aswell as his eyes widen somewhat…

"What you did………."

At this; Jamie's guard well and truly shattered; his memory was blank – with a capitol B at that! He didn't remember anything except for what had happened just before he'd passed out in the Turk's Lounge…but other than that; he hadn't even been aware that he'd been awake between then and now………confusion and dread began to consume the seventeen-year-old as wild speculations began to circulated within the confines of his already messed up head…

"What did I do?"

Weiss shook his silver haired head as he walked towards a mainframe computer whilst explaining what had presumably happened over the last couple of hours………

"You are powerful, were you aware of that Jamie? I presume not…it does not seem like something Genesis would have willingly admitted; that his own grandson had surpassed him…it matters not as the events have happened and cannot be halted now………"

"Just cut to the chase…please?!"

"Very well; your power was volatile; it erupted…it destroyed everything in it's path; your Mom, your Dad, your Grandfather, your friends………even you little sister………"

"W…what? No…no fucking way! I would have known – no; your fucking lying! You bastard – no!"

Jamie backtracked several paces as a satellite image of the ShinRa HQ popped up on the mainframe, compliments of Weiss…the seventeen-year-old shook his head adamantly, though his eyes remained glued to the image on the screen; the whole base had been obliterated; barely a wall was left standing………

Jamie felt his knees crash painfully to the floor as reality sunk in, he'd killed everyone he'd loved….the youth gulped hard; forcing the vomit back down his throat as his head continued to spin wildly; _I've killed them all – Mom…Dad…Grandpa………__**Alex**__………_

Sephiroth smirked in a satisfied fashion as he surveyed the youth; it may not have been the truth; but it had worked to their advantage in the end………

* * *

_**A/N; Uh; Jamie didn't do anything though, did he? Hehe; Weiss is a manipulitive you-know-what of an uncle isn't he?!?!?!?!**_

_**Thanks huns!**_

_**XXXXX**_

Renolvr:-P


	12. Jenova?

_**A/N: I'm slow updating - I know! But I have an excuse this time - I had to, still have to, study for my Christmas Exams! NOW! But I got bored of the studying earlier, so this is teh result of my Engineering studying lads! Let me know if ya think I'll pass or not!!!!LOL!!!**_

* * *

"_**Boo!"**_

Seifer snapped awake and looked around the small room in a confused daze, searching for the source of the shout that had jolted him awake………the father smiled as his confusion cleared and his blue eyes came to rest on his daughter……

"You frightened me!"

Alex only smiled her sweet innocent smile as her father hoisted her up onto his knee, the four-year-old then turned to look at her mother, whom still lay in a bed, unconscious, the young child asked the most obvious question that came to mind…

"Will Mommy be okay?"

Seifer sat back into his chair upon hearing this and heaved a heavy sigh;

"I hope so………your Mommy loves you a lot, I know she might have been working a lot since we came here, but she loves you with all her heart sweetie…"

"I know Daddy………"

* * *

"Owww………"

Aj sat up in her bed, shaking her head and placing a hand against her paining ribs…the eighteen-year-old allowed her shimmering cerulean gaze to wander around the room she was in, within seconds; they had landed upon the sight of her two parents – both of which had fallen asleep on a small two-seater sofa at the wall opposite her bed………Aj groaned slightly as the sight of the drip in her arm caught the corner of her eye – she hated needles, despised them to the very last! The teenager was caught off guard as a viscous coughing fit took hold of her, compliments to the gas fumes and dust her lungs had inhaled……….

Cloud woke with a start as someone's coughing ended his sleeping, the spikey-haired blonde leapt slightly as he came to…stirring Tifa in turn………

"Aj!"

Within the blink of an eye, Tifa had crossed the room and wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter's neck, tears of relief sliding down her cheeks as she held the teenager………

Cloud smirked as he noticed Aj turning slightly blue in the face…

"Tifa, I think you're hugging her to tight………"

* * *

"I'm sorry………"

Jamie spoke quietly as he sat in the darkness of his now-sleeping quarters, sitting into the corner, in which his bed was situated, with his knees drawn up to under his chin…the teenager just stared blankly into the dark void………he felt nothing – just numb. He'd just been told that he'd killed all those close to him…everyone………his parents, his friends………his little sister………

Not one member of the Tsviets, the Remnants or even Sephiroth himself even attempted to halt the teenager as he'd stormed from their control room………so far it had all played to their advantage………guilt was a terrible burden to bear, especially for a youth so young, it could mentally break the teenager – and that's exactly what was wanted of the seventeen-year-old now………

* * *

"Has there been any change?"

Seifer turned in his seat as he registered the voice that had spoken…it had been two days since the assault on the ShinRa HQ, and this was the first time both him and that individual had come face to face since he and Christi had had the argument………the blonde father shook his head;

"No…nothing………Genesis – about what I said to her; I didn't mean any of it, honestly……...it's just – I dunno…...…she can be hard-headed at times!"

Seifer smirked to himself as he found himself thinking of the time where Squall, Irvine, Zell and Raijin had had to literally wrestle Christi from Cid Kramer's office all those years ago…they'd been so young back then………

Genesis smirked slightly as he turned and walked back out the door of his daughter's room…talking quietly as he walked back down the empty corridor towards the WRO control room;

"_Hard-headed_………just like her mother…"

The red-coated SOLDIER was cut short as he unintentionally stumbled forwards as an unseen force hooked around his right ankle…Genesis grinned despite himself as he regained his steady footing, then quickly looked around the empty corridor as he spoke;

"That was a compliment Alex!"

* * *

"Jamie…"

Jamie looked up as the door to his sleeping quarters opened and in walked two individuals, one with spiky silver hair, the other with a shock of black hair…

"What the hell d'you two want!?"

Weiss smirked slightly upon hearing the teenager's angered tone – time to put their plan into action…

"You have no reason to hold anger towards me Jamie – it was not I, nor any of the other's who caused this…it was you."

"Don't you think I fucking know that now, huh?! Stick to your day job Weiss, you're no good at the whole pep-talk thing!"

"You're body is degenerating…"

"I know that already…what's it got to do with you!?"

Nero smirked from behind his restraints…his grandnephew was quickly trying Weiss patience………the black haired Tsviet took over;

"Why do you presume we are not your side? Have we done something to set you against us? We are your family also, Genesis, your grand-father, is our brother – but you know that already, don't you?"

"Mmm…what about it?"

"Nothing about it…I am merely offering you a hand to stop you from drowning Jamie…no strings attached, no catches – just help."

At this; the seventeen year old looked up, his eerily glowing blue eyes meeting Nero's gaze, half-hoping half not; of course he didn't want to die – what seventeen year old kid did? But did he deserve to live…he certainly didn't think so…not anymore, not after what he'd just done, he didn't………

"We are not going to hold anything against you…in case you are not aware of it – our past is anything but clean, we will not judge you on your choice………"

Weiss watched the youth as spoke this, watching for that evident flicker in his eyes that would signal their victory in this matter………and there it was………

"Help me – how? My body's already rejected Grandpa's, Cloud's, Zack's, Angeal's and Rika's cells – what hope have I left now?"

"You have Jenova…her cells…pure ones that Sephiroth has obtained………the choice is yours Jamie………"

* * *

_**A/N: Any clearer for ya Lamb - or have I still ya stumped, eh?**_


	13. Intentions Revealed

_**A/N; Just for the record - I hate babysitting! Okay; that little episode over with; here's Inheritance!**_

* * *

"_Jenova_………"

Jamie lowered his glowing gaze as thoughts began to circulate through out his young mind; anything he'd ever been told of Jenova had been bad – The near annihilation of the Ancients, Sephiroth, The Remnants…Geostigma - in a nutshell; the want of destroying Gaia itself………how the hell could something he'd been told was evil since before he could even talk, help him?

"You know where to find us when you have made your mind up………"

And with that; both Weiss and Nero left the room, allowing the teenager to ponder and wonder over the option they had offered him, silently knowing what it would be their selves………

* * *

"Genesis…"

Genesis turned on his heel as he registered the voice of his old friend;

"What, has something happened?"

Rika shook her chocolate hued haired head as she looked the red-coated SOLDIER up and down, silently searching for the correct way to word what she wished to say, but merely sighed slightly as the words eluded her, and she chose the most basic ones capable of portraying her question;

"What're you doing here?"

Genesis blinked slightly, somewhat taken aback by the annoyed tone to her voice as she made the query;

"I don't understand what you mean…I work for ShinRa once more, and it is not as if ShinRa now has a base to operate from any longer, so I am here………"

"Don't play dumb Genesis! It seriously doesn't suit you! I know you work for ShinRa now – but as far back as I can remember; your family has always come before your commitment to SOLDIER…so what makes it so different this time round? Why aren't you gone to Midgar already – we all know that's where Jamie is, so then why the hell haven't you gone already!?"

"I have grown wise in my years Rika…I know the faults that lie in a head on attack without any strategy behind it…the last time I rushed into a full out battle in Midgar, I almost lost……… I had almost lost everything I'd regained…I do not want to risk that again………"

Rika paused for several seconds as she thought about what he had said…Angeal had since filled her in on all that had happened over seventeen years ago regarding the JXG formula and all the fighting that had ensued during those months………she could see it from his point of view alright, she understood why he didn't want to risk it again…but she couldn't ignore the maternal side to her character – the side of her mind that was telling her to go to Midgar, even if the other's wouldn't………she may not have been a blood relation of Jamie's, but she had watched that youngster over the span of a few weeks and had come to the conclusion; he was one kid that had a knack of lightening up anything – no matter how dark the mood, or how bleak the situation – the teenager had always made them see the bright side of it…even if he hadn't meant to………

"Fine, I understand Genesis, that's your choice – but I have mine aswell! I'm going to Midgar – I'll help your grandson seems you won't! It's no skin off my nose, but I just find it hard to believe that you've sunk so low as to neglect his plight………but I guess that's the price of wisdom, huh?"

Genesis immediately felt his anger rising – she had absolutely no right to patronise him on his own choices! More so than that; to accuse him of not caring!

"Do not ever insinuate that I do not care Rika! I have considered going – on several occasions at this stage, but there's too great a number to oppose…getting killed is not going to aid anyone! So go on if you want – get yourself killed…it's no skin off my nose!"

Rika merely smirked as she turned and began to walk a few paces away from the red-coated SOLDIER, now aware that it was her who was pulling the strings………if she could piss Genesis off enough to get him really angry at her, then he'd go to Midgar too, just to spite her…and after that it'd be easy to rope Angeal into it…she could easily play the; _childhood friend_, or the; _little sister_ card if he objected…and if all that failed; she could question his dreams, that'd definitely win him over! All she needed to do was rile Genesis enough first………

* * *

Despite the inner voice that screamed at him to turn on his heels and flee through the nearest exit - to get as far away from this place as he possibly could, Jamie didn't heed it…only took a breath and spoke, quieter than usual, now aware of how much of a coward he was permitting himself to be………

"I…I want your help………_please_………"

* * *

"What're you doing?"

Shalua looked around from where she'd been uncapping a full syringe of greenish liquid to where the ever-curious Elmyra Fair sat in one of the chairs, quietly observing and keeping a vigil by her father's bed………Shalua smiled kindly as she spoke to the youth;

"It's a diluted solution of Mako…it should accelerate healing………"

Elmyra simply nodded her head of ebony locks as she continued to watch on in her amusing way – anything and everything seemed to amaze the teenager, she never grew bored of anything………

Zack bolted awake as he felt the sharp pinch of a needle trying to gain entry to the most prominent vain…he hated that feeling! After spending four years of enduring twisted experiment after twisted experiment of Hojo's had left the cheeky SOLDIER with an undying hate for anything that was even slightly reminiscent of experiment apparatus………

Shalua stumbled backwards a couple of paces as the arm she'd been attempting to inject with the Mako solution was sharply pulled away and the owner of which sat up like Lazarus in the bed, a look of mixed amusement and confusion evident on his face;

"I know I didn't go asleep in here – where am I?!"

"Dad!"

The fact that his daughter was, in the blink of an eye, after suddenly leaping onto his bed and wrapping her arms around his neck in a bear-like hug had only served to confuse the SOLDIER even more than he had been previously………

* * *

"Do not walk away from me Rika!"

Rika smirked to herself as she continued to walk away from the red-coated SOLDIER, now picking up on the pissed off tone of his voice…

"That's big coming from you Genesis! It's your choice in the end but………"

Genesis locked his glowing gaze onto Rika as she groaned lowly, cutting off the rest of her comment as she involuntarily was forced to outstretch one of her hands to the nearby wall in an aid to steady her stance………

"Rika…are you okay? Rika………"

All anger that had grown within the revered SOLDIER evaporated lightning fast as he realised that Rika was not okay, but far from it………

* * *

"In here………"

Jamie walked through the door he was instructed to, all of his and his family and friends' enemies gathered within the same room…with a quick glance around, it was easy to identify the room as a lab of some sort – the whiteness of the floor and walls, the bright moveable spotlight that positioned itself in the middle of the ceiling, the table in the middle of the floor; directly beneath the light, the numerous trays of implements, and whole air of uneasiness that accompanied the room itself………

"Put him on the table…"

Jamie shot his head up to see the owner of the voice; Hojo………within seconds the youth realised what had happened – the conniving bastards had tricked him!

"What the hell's goin on! You said everyone was killed when the base was destroyed! If you weren't lying – then how come he's still alive!? You lied to me – I didn't kill anyone! You lying bastard!"

Weiss smirked darkly as he eyed his grandnephew; this was where things got fun from where he was standing!

"I lied – so sue me! And my-my; what atrocious language…you should learn to respect your elders!"

"Ha! I would if they deserved any!"

Jamie glanced quickly around the room for the second time, this time eager to spot an escape route…but none met his eyes, only the door he'd just come in through…the one that Azul now stood in front of………

"Just do as you're instructed, and you will not be harmed………"

"No goddamn way!"

Jamie jumped back as Weiss made to grab him…ultimately evading his granduncle's swipe, but that was only Weiss – he was still outnumbered; eight to one…most of which he probably even handle one on one let alone when all were teamed against him – the youth was trapped, and unfortunately; he knew it.

"If you do not struggle; then it will not hurt…so much………"

Jamie refused to even acknowledge Sephiroth's statement with an answer as he continued to back up a few paces, trying his best to figure out his next move, but the youth had no other options but to try………

"You are more foolish than you look, my darling…"

Despite his struggles; Jamie soon found himself being forcefully lay down along the length of the metallic table…the teenager did the only thing he could; squirmed and fought against the hands restraining him…but it was futile; he was outnumbered and outmatched………only when he felt the straps being tightened around his wrists and ankles did the youth realise he was utterly helpless, he couldn't move let alone fight back…all he could do was lay there and watch as Hojo readied whatever he intended to inject the teenager with………

* * *

Rika looked up as she felt hands being placed gently on her shoulders………but she could hardly tell Genesis the truth – how was she supposed to tell her old friend that there was this weird little voice in her head that was now pushing for more control………he would think that she had totally lost the plot altogether!

"Rika, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

Rika forced herself to shake her head and steady her stance as Genesis hesitantly removed his hands from her shoulders;

"No – I'm fine…just a bit tired………guess I'll have to put that whole Midgar thing off till tomorrow, huh?"

* * *

"You're all nothing but a shower of out and out bollix's! D'you hear me – every single one of you! Stupid bastarding lying cunting fuckers – _**Ahhh!**_"

The rest of Jamie's foul-mouthed insult was cut short as a fist made forceful contact with his right cheek…the teenager looked back up to see Sephiroth standing nearest, a small smirk lighting up his demented features;

"Your language does not please me, neither does the fact that it is directed to me………"

"Yeah well; your face don't please me!"

Sephiroth only smirked all the wider as he retreated a pace or two, allowing Hojo access to the vile-tongued teenager………Jamie struggled against his restraints all the harder as he saw the demented scientist approaching………but all proved in vain as the tip of the needle was inserted into his arm………

* * *

"Rika!"

Genesis caught the young-looking female as she seemingly just dropped………he knew she hadn't looked well – but the red-coated SOLDIER certainly hadn't predicted her being so bad as she passed out………something wasn't right…and it wasn't Rika's sudden bad turn that was the sole source of this conclusion – he could feel it…feel her – _**Mother**_………

* * *

"_**Ahhhhh!"**_

Jamie arched his back up as fiery agony swept through every millimetre of his body, searing his through his veins and thoughts…blocking out anything and everything he had know and cared for as a new voice flared into being throughout his mind…another females – but different from the one that had assaulted his mind while he had seemingly attacked Genesis…this one was cold, malicious and………it was _**her**_………

The teenager arched up as far as his restraints would permit him to, snapping his head back in an attempt to rid his mind of her oppressive grip on him, but it didn't work – nothing worked, he couldn't fight her………the seventeen-year-old allowed another blood-curdling scream as another wave of fiery agony seared through his veins;

"_**Ahhhhh!"

* * *

**_

"_**Jamie!"**_

Christi woke to the sound of her own voice echoing through her ears…she'd just seen him – her son, and she knew what they'd done to him………she had to help………

* * *

**_A/N; Christi and Zack's awake, Rika's not - Jamie is kinda in a predicament...and Jenova's back...confusing, no?_**


	14. Realization

**_A/N; Retro Lamb - you there hunnie...JARED LETO ROCKS!!!!! Here we go again..._**

* * *

"Mommy!"

Seifer snapped his blue eyes up as Alex ran forward from where both; he and her had been walking in through the door…the SeeD Instructor felt his heart leap slightly upon taking in the sight of his wife sitting up, evidently having regained consciousness, in her bed………

"Christi!"

Christi shot her glowing gaze upwards as his voice was heard, the memories of her harrowing premonition momentarily forgotten as tears formed in her eyes, and emotions took hold;

"Seifer – I'm sorry…I'm so sorry, I didn't mean any of it – I swear, I'm so sor-"

Christi trailed off as she immediately became aware of her husband's arms around her, hugging her tight…

"Don't be sorry Christi – I was just bein thick-headed as usual…I guess we both were, huh? Forget about it though, I'm just glad you're okay…don't _**ever**_ scare me like that again brighteyes!"

* * *

Shalua looked up as the door of the medical lab opened…within seconds; the female found herself helping Genesis lay Rika down on one of the unoccupied beds…

"What happened her Genesis?"

No reply came to the scientist's query, as when she looked up from her friend's unconscious frame; the enigmatic SOLDIER had already exited the room………this fact alone set the woman on edge; Genesis, in her opinion anyhow, seemed to have changed somewhat lately; though she could hardly blame the man, everything he'd fought so hard to protect all those years ago, was falling apart right in front of his very eyes…his grandson was missing, his daughter was hurt, and all those he'd fought against in the past; were back again………it was no wonder the man had reverted back to his silent mood………

* * *

"Genesis! Where's Rika? What happened her?"

Genesis halted hastily as to avoid walking full force into Angeal…the white-winged SOLDIER looked worried…someone must have informed him of Rika's odd turn…and now he was doing the typical brother thing; finding out what the hell had happened his little sister! Genesis spoke quickly as he continued to walk, Angeal a few paces behind him;

"She is in the medical lab, Shalua is tending to her – and as for what happened; I honestly do not know, she was fine one minute, and next she keeled over………Angeal; we have bigger problems right now………"

At this; Angeal ground to a halt, his Mako-blue eyes seemingly examining the tiled floor of the corridor as he spoke quietly;

"You feel her too then………"

"Yes, we need to act now – before it is too late; the first she will come after are the remaining of Cetra………"

Angeal nodded as he turned on his heels, making a beeline in the opposite direction as Genesis walked on;

"I understand – I'll get Elmyra from Zack's room…then I'll get Aerith from the Lounge, last time I saw her; she was talking with Tifa………"

* * *

Genesis stopped mid-step as his eerily glowing irises came to rest on the scene of the three people sitting on the white-linened bed…Christi, Seifer and Alex………

Christi looked up as the door to her room opened, a small smile lit up her features as she saw the confusion on her father's face…

"Hi Dad………"

Genesis blinked as he closed the door behind him; still slightly taken aback by his daughter's miraculous recovery…but still not neglecting the fact that time was of the essence………

"Christi – you are okay?"

Christi grinned as she looked up to her father, then gingerly placed a hand to the back of her head, where several stitches were present…

"Mostly – have a bit of the headache – _**Oh**_!"

As she left the exclamation out – the memories of her supposed premonition came flooding back…the mother wasted no time in jumping forward to the end of her bed, her gaze meeting her father's in a pleading, almost begging look;

"Dad – please tell me Jamie's here! _**Please**_!"

All the SOLDIER, surprisingly, found himself capable of under his daughter's glare, was a mere shake of his hazel-red haired head………Christi sat back heavily on her bed, tears welling in her eyes as she realized what she'd seen had been true…

"Then…then; that means…no! We've got to go! I have to help him!"

Genesis spoke quickly as Christi set about pulling on some clothes, aware that; even though he did not wish her to be part of the fighting that was sure to ensue, he could not stop her – she wasn't the type who would gracefully bow out of something, regardless whether or not if she was likely to come out the other end unharmed………

"Stop for a minute and concentrate Christi – what do you feel that seems out of the ordinary?"

Christi did as instructed and halted for a minute, closing her eyes as she cleared her head…almost immediately; the mother snapped her glowing grey eyes open again, a look of horror on her face;

"I can feel her…but; she can't be back – can she? Oh no! That's what I saw! That's was they did to him!"

"Daddy – what are Mommy and Grandpa talking about?"

Seifer stood, hoisting Alex into his arms as he did so, and shook his head;

"I don't know hun………Christi – start from the beginning, not the middle; we're lost over here!"

"No…not in front………"

Christi trailed off as her gaze settled on Alex…she wasn't about to tell a four year old that the big brother she idolised was now housing a calamity………

* * *

"Elmyra – you need to come with me…you also Aerith-"  
"And what about me! Huh Angeal – am I _**that**_ easy to forget about?!?!"

Angeal felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as his gaze fell upon his hyperactive former-pupil…

"One could only hope………Zack, she's back, we need to go – _**Now**_!"

Zack felt his smile seemingly drop from his face as realization dawned on him…the SOLDIER stood quickly from his bed, ignoring the agony that flared into life in ribs as he turned to face his wife and daughter, both of which were oblivious as to the meaning behind Angeal's words…

"Aer, Elmyra – go with Angeal, I'll catch up later………"

Aerith nodded her head, evidently understanding what was going on…she knew something had felt uneasy lately…but never in years would she have fathomed that Heaven's Dark Harbinger had returned………unlike her mother; Elmyra didn't know what that weird feeling she had meant…the only thing the eighteen-year-old was sure of; was that she was being left in the dark…

"What's going on? Someone tell me!"

Zack turned as he pulled the top of his SOLDIER uniform down over his head, wincing slightly as he did so…

"Elmyra – I'm not gonna start arguing with you, now go with Angeal to the lab!"

That fatherly order may have worked in a perfect world, with the perfect little daughter – but Elmyra Fair was far from the perfect daughter! Of all the traits to pass on, it just had to have been the strong willingness Zack had passed on………

"No I won't! Tell me what the fuck is going on Dad!"

Zack groaned as he heard his daughter's angered shouts…now was not the time for an attitude problem!

"Either go with Angeal, or I'll make you, either way; you're not gonna win!"

"Just try it!"

Zack looked up and grinned as he heard the defiance in Elmyra's voice, fine then………

"Fine – I will make you!"

"Wha – Put me down! Dad – put me the hell down! _**DAD**_!!!"

Angeal smirked as he followed Zack, Aerith by his side, both watching on as Elmyra continued to protest and thump the back off her father………

* * *

_**A/N; Hehe; that's called persuassion...my Dad threatened to do it to me when I wouldn't get up for school one morning...I later found out my Dad does not believe in empty threats!!!!!**_


	15. Relocating

_**A/N; Now, I'm gonna say this nice and slow so as all ye read and understand this; my pen-name is R-E-N-O-lvr, not E-M-O-lvr!!!!!!! Did you get that Lamb!?LOL!!! See Mink - I can spell!**_

* * *

Both Tseng and Elena brought their delighted gazes up from their daughter, of whom had just come to, as the door to San's room opened…despite their elated moods, all traces of smiles vanished upon seeing the seriousness on Veld's face………Veld quickly took in the sight of the family, then, somewhat with a hesitance, spoke – bursting their bubble;

"Tseng, everyone's on the move…something has shown up on the scan that certainly should not have………"

* * *

Zell looked up as he suddenly became aware of the mass entrance to the training hall in which he'd been training along with Irvine, Squall and Raijin…within seconds; the wiry blonde had reached the decision that something wasn't right…the last time he'd seen so many black suits and troops – it had been just before the assault on Midgar when they'd seized Lucrecia, Grimoire and old President ShinRa…it definitely wasn't good if all the forces were rallying again………

"Rinoa – what's goin on?"

Rinoa turned to face Selphie as she shrugged her shoulders, evidently at as much as a loss as the nun-chuck wielding woman………but it seemed that at least on person of the old gang knew what was suddenly transpiring as he answer broke the relative silence;

"Mother…"

Several heads, including those of the three males gathered below the bleachers, in which the three females sat, turned their gazes to Fujin…somehow; they had all caught the meaning behind the single word………

* * *

Genesis looked around the training hall that he, Christi, Seifer and Alex had just entered…the place was hectic; technicians were running every which way, troops and Turks weren't much better, and with confusion and fear added to the mix; it made things twice as bad…after several seconds to watching the personnel, Genesis let shout; taking up his post as a SOLDIER…

"Technicians on terminals immediately, troops stand for attention, and Turks to briefing hall two – _**NOW**_!"

The result was instantaneously; the floor cleared of all persons as they acted upon the SOLDIER's order, slightly thankful that someone had chosen to take control of the situation…

"Dad; answer me something…if we get attacked here; what's our chances?"

Genesis looked to his daughter, silently adding up the odds in his head, but no matter what way he analysed the scenarios………they didn't end up with the upper hand…after several seconds the red-coated SOLDIER shook his head;

"Not very encouraging; this base was not engineered to serve as a fort, its structure along would last even less than the ShinRa base did if affronted with Azul's blasts…and even if it did stand, we have no relative ground to fight for; we are underground or above ground; there are no vantage points outside, apart from the cliffs, but by the time we utilize those; DGS will have done so………apart from all that; our numbers a minimum in comparison to DGS, we are in need of additional forces-"

"_**CHRISTI!" **_

Christi looked up quickly as the sound of her name bounced off the walls…the next thing the female became aware of; was her butt hitting the ground hard as someone bowled her over, evidently overjoyed………Selphie grinned as she looked to her friend, both females now sitting on the ground of the training hall, her emerald eyes alight with joy;

"Christi – you're awake, you're okay! You scared the hell outta me! Did you two kiss and make up yet?!"

Christi smiled as she looked up to her husband, a trademark cheeky grin back on her face for a split second…

"I think so………"

Squall crossed his arms across his chest and smirked as he took in the sight of both Selphie and Christi flat out on their butts…but whatever relief that had appeared, quickly diminished as the head-master stepped forward, evidently having come to the conclusion that something certainly wasn't as it should have been due the snip-bits he'd heard from Genesis and Christi's conversation…

"Genesis; it's Balambs' turn to lend a hand; the school is capable of holding up to the blasts, to a certain extent anyhow, and it's much better suited as a fort than this place, atop of that; there are hundreds of recruits, See-Ds and instructors there, all willing to lend their hands to the cause this time around…"

Genesis nodded his head, grateful of the offer, but also aware that this time – it was much more complicated than it had been seventeen years ago…

"I appreciate the offer, but this is, in layman's terms; worse, than last time-"

"I figured as much – why d'you think I'm offering? What other options have you?"

"Put-me-the-fuck-down! Dad! Put me down! _**Arghhh – Dad**_!"

Everyone looked around as the relative silence of the hall was broken in two…Zack merely grinned as all faces turned his direction…then capped his daughter's feet back over his shoulder, successfully dropping her forcefully on the tiled floor of the training hall with an audible _thump_ as the eighteen-year-old landed flat on her stomach…

"Where the hell d'you pick up your language Elmyra?!"

Elmyra looked up from where she lay on the ground to her father, a slightly spiteful tone to her voice as she shot daggers at him;

"From you!"

"Angeal; where's Rufus and Reeve?"

Angeal looked up as his gaze came to rest on Christi, the SOLDIER broke out into a delighted smile upon seeing his goddaughter, evidently no worse for wear now that she was up an about…

"Christi………they're in the control room, why?"

Christi grinned as she shot her father and Squall a glance, whilst making for the door at the opposite end of the hall at the same time;

"Coz we're relocating to Balamb – that's why! Isn't that right Daddy?!"

Irvine shook his head as the door swung shut behind Christi – how come no one was telling her to sit down and take things easy? By right; that's what she should have been doing, but instead; the mother was racing around, taking charge of everything and anything…the sharpshooter looked to the white winged SOLDIER;

"Ain't you gonna stop her?"

Angeal shrugged and looked to Seifer as he turned and helped the still cursing Elmyra to her feet, making sure to keep himself placed between both father and daughter; the two were so similar it was scary at times…in character and temper!

"Don't look at me; she is his wife!"

Seifer simply shrugged as he followed the same path his wife had just taken, although he had absolutely no intention whatsoever of halting her;

"She might be my wife – but she's his daughter! And I'm not gonna be on the receiving end of her temper again!"

Genesis shook his head as the gazes of everyone fell from the exiting Seifer to him…like hell he was gonna stop Christi! He was well aware of her uncanny traits; most of which were inherited from her mother…and a fiery and volatile temper was one of them, he'd been on the receiving end of Alex's short fuse on several occasions when he'd been younger, the most memorable of them being when they'd still only been teenagers in Banola – he had been hanging out with Alex, both waiting for Angeal…whatever had been said; he had ended up referring to the half-Wutain as _shorty_…only for a stupid apple to come within mere millimetres of his right cheek…he'd been lucky; Alex's aim had been off that day – Minerva herself knew of the deadly precision and acute aiming that the petite female had possessed………

"I am not willing to risk myself harm…"

* * *

_**A/N; Thanks for reading huns - please review and let me know what ye thought!**_

_**Renolvr go bye-bye!**_

_**XXXXX**_


	16. A little Hint

_**A/N; Short chapter - I know...just couldn't come up with anymore when I was typing...let me know what ye think huns!**_

* * *

"Don't worry hun…everything's gonna be fine………"

Christi silently pulled the blanket further up on the frame of her sleeping daughter, whether this was meant in an attempt to prevent the young child from getting cold during their flight back to Balamb, or as a symbol to reinforce the mother's sense of protection for her daughter, it was impossible to decide which was the right taking of the gesture…maybe the two were correct.

"She was worried about you Christi…about you and Jamie………"

Christi turned as she registered her husband's voice…her voice shaking as she fought back tears…

"Seifer…I'm scared, I know what's happened, I've seen it – he's our son…how the hell are we supposed to fight against him – he's our baby………"

Seifer wrapped his strong arms around his wife as tears, that had been welling in her eyes, broke free and raced down her cheeks…the reality of what must now be done finally sinking in…Christi knew in her heart and soul that Jenova had to be stopped at all possible costs, the stakes were too high to even consider taking a gamble on the matter, but on the other hand; it was still her son………Seifer felt his jaw tighten – truth be told; he'd been thinking of the same thing as soon as Christi had alerted all to what she had seen…but he had already made up his mind on the matter; if it came to it – he didn't have any other option………he'd rather see his son dead before allowing Jenova the pleasure of holding the teenager hostage within his own body; poisoning his mind………he didn't want his son to be the next Sephiroth………and neither would Jamie………it didn't matter how much the choice went against his paternal instincts or his heart for that matter – it had to be that way………

* * *

Rika opened her eyes slowly as unfamiliar sounds and noises invaded her dreams…the ex-SOLDIER sat up as confusion suddenly swept over her – she had absolutely no idea how the hell she'd gotten there………

"Take it easy...we are on the Shera…heading for Balamb Garden………how are you feeling Rika?"

Rika smiled despite herself as she registered Angeal's voice…she should have known he'd worry – he always had; that was his one weakness; he looked after all those around him, sometimes over-looking his own needs in the process………

"I'm fine Angeal…I guess I was tired or something………don't give me that look – I'm not a three-year-old!"

Angeal made no reply, just held his gaze – he knew there was something Rika was neglecting to tell him…and he was going to sit there all day if he had to until she spilled………Rika stared straight back, holding up her side of the silent battle of wills…the only problem being; she did want to tell him – to tell someone before she actually came face to face with_** him**_ again………

* * *

"So that's about it yo………"

Reno looked around as he finished explaining to the six remaining teenagers what had happened to lead them to have to relocate their base…in all the rushing and preparations – it seemed as if the youths had been over-looked somewhat…although; no one could really be to blame, things were moving to fast for most of them to comprehend, let alone for the youngsters………

"But…Jamie's good – he's our friend…he's not a fucking alien – or whatever the hell that Jenova thing is…that's not Jamie!"

Aj just shook her head and pulled San from her ranting and into a hug as the Turks' daughter broke down………Reno groaned slightly as he looked to the two girls, more so when he realised his goddaughter was in tears…without even thinking, the wiry Turk found himself talking once more…

"C'mon San…don't cry yo…everything's gonna work out in the end, it always does somehow…just don't give up before it's even begun yo………"

* * *

"I knew there were things that you were not telling me, but I never thought………"

Rika nodded her head slightly at her brother's musing… she had just finished explaining all she had neglected to…what had transpired in Nibelheim that night, the lost baby, what Hojo had done to her………

"Rika – why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Does it really matter Angeal…the past is never going to change, it doesn't matter how many times we wish it would – it's not gonna change…and I know that now, but what I can change; is the future………it's my choice brother, so; promise me you won't stand in my way…please Angeal?"

It was all the black haired SOLDIER could do to nod his head silently…she was right though – it was her choice not hers…and that was Rika through and through – she'd always look for ways to help someone out, it didn't matter what her personal risks would be, if she succeeded in helping that person; then that was enough………

* * *

"This isn't good…I think I know now what Ifalna meant – two greater powers pulling the strings………"

Genesis spun as he registered her voice…the SOLDIER felt his heavy mood lighten somewhat upon resting his eerily glowing gaze upon her petite frame…her steel grey irises…her long ebony locks in their customary ponytail…her tanned skin…her cheeky grin………

"Alex…please tell me you have come to explain…because I seriously cannot fathom this……"

Alex smiled sadly as she looked to her husband…she wasn't even supposed to be here, she'd been warned already………but she couldn't just stand by and watch all these events unfolding without getting her say in – it just wasn't her!

"Genesis; I don't know much more than you, but here's what I do know, well – what they'll tell me anyhow, it looks like my mouth is too big here aswell – anyhow; all the Ancients told me; was that things weren't as simple as they look; that two greater powers were pulling the strings………so far Jenova has proclaimed herself as one of those greater powers…but they won't tell me who the other is………but I have and idea………"

Genesis looked up, a hopeful look on his face for a change – if they knew the two forces acting in this war; then it would make it easier to assess the situation instead of just ploughing head-long into a battle, blinded to the true workings of it…

"Who?"

"I'm not totally sure here now…but;_ The Goddess_………I have to go…be safe, please Genesis – I helped you the first time, I won't be able to a second hun………"

"Alex; wait – I…"

Genesis trailed off as the individual he'd been talking with merely tuck her tongue out cheekily and faded from view…the SOLDIER smirked despite himself – that was typical on Alex's part………

* * *

_**A/N; Retro Lamb...WELL HUNNIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:-P :-P**_


	17. Readying

_**A/N; Again, sorry this took so late to post huns - long story short; I have a really tempermental internet connection which has recently taken a MAJOR disliking to me, but here it is!**_

* * *

"This place is _**huge**_!"

Rika turned full circle as she took in the vast lobby of Balamb Garden, taking in every aspect of the magnificent lobby surrounded by water and it's striking similarity in appearance to that of a giant fountain………

Christi smiled slightly as she looked around her one and only home…she couldn't remember much of her life before the plane crash, due to her only being three when it had occurred…the only memories she possessed were faint ones of the ShinRa HQ………then everything since then had transpired in this very mercenary school…it was the only real place she could call home.

"Reno; where're you goin?"

Reno halted mid-step as Squall called to him…the Turk turned around, a confused look on his face as he spoke to the headmaster;

"Eh…your office yo…"

Squall fought back a smile as he watched the wiry Turk walk on again…the fiery-haired assassin oblivious to the fact that he seriously still didn't know his way around the vast school, despite the fact of how many years ShinRa had been working in close coalition with the infamous mercenary training school………

"Reno; my office isn't that way – that's the way to the training centre…go in there if you want to, but at your own risk………"

Needless the say the Turk preformed a perfect U-turn within mere seconds and obliged to follow the bulk of the others…he'd gone in there before – _**not**_ fun!

* * *

"All the SeeD candidates will be permitted to fight, we'll work it as their field exam – the majority of them have already completed and passed the written exam, so it makes sense………I'll brief them now, a few SeeDs are on guard at different posts around the Garden as it stands, until the time comes; I suggest you all go to the cafeteria or sleeping quarters…all the other students are still in their dorms, it's after hours, so I doubt you'll come across any in the corridors………"

Squall looked up as he finished speaking to all those who stood present in his office…it was late already; and it seemed a waste to have to rouse all of the students when no reports of near-by adversaries had been called in………most agreed with the headmaster's decision on the matter; true – they didn't want to just go on as normal, when things obviously weren't as they should have been, but it was also up to Squall to consider the best move; he was the one who called the shots at Balamb Garden; not ShinRa, AVALANCHE, nor The WRO………

* * *

"Jamie – is that you? I didn't see you earlier with your parents; I thought maybe you'd stayed in Edge…your Mom and Dad arrived about an hour ago, along with Headmaster Squall………"

Rosso turned her head to face the rambling man behind his glass panes at the entrance gates…a look on annoyance in her crimson irises…the demented Tsviet turned her attention back to the youth who now stood to the front of their group………

"Your orders…my darling?"

Jamie spoke without even turning his head to acknowledge the aged man, of which had always rambled on about how he'd been there since the garden had been established…all he ever had been was an annoyance………

"Kill him…"

The teenager still did not look around, even as the sound of gunshots and shattering glass echoed through the silence of the nights' air………he did not know nor care for the man any longer, or anyone in this school for the matter – they all, now, stood in his way; and that alone was enough to issue them death warrants in his eyes……….it didn't matter who they were; family, friends, classmates, Seniors, SeeDs, Instructors – they had all chosen to congregate here, against him…against _**her**_………For it mattered not what the seventeen-year-old wished to do, or how much he fought back; he was imprisoned within his own mind; he was permitted to view all the damage and sadness that would, now, be committed by his hands – but unable to stop it; he didn't know how to take it back – she had control now; use of his body, his voice; him………all he could do was watch as all those whom he had cared for him fell to their knees at his hands………

* * *

"What d'you mean there's no hotdogs left?! I swear this school doesn't even have them – just keeps sayin there're all gone – _**owww!"**_

Zell looked up from his ranting as a hand shot across the back of his head at force; he grinned slightly upon spotting Selphie near-by – it was just like when they'd been kids again…although; he had to admit – they hadn't had hotdogs back then either!

* * *

"Why the hell were we dragged outta bed for? There's nothing happening out here – and it's freezing!"

The older of the two posted SeeDs turned to his complaining companion as the last of his patience wore thin – it was cold, early in the morning, he was tired too; the last thing he wanted to do was listen to a whinger! But whatever the male had intended on saying suddenly found itself stuck in his throat as his eyes came to rest on an approaching party of people – the thing that caught his eye was that the group compromised of enemies, every single one of them but the person who, evidently, was leading them………the SeeD kept his gaze fixed firmly on the familiar youth as he elbowed his partner sharply and whispered;

"Is that Jamie Almasy – Seifer and Christi's kid?"

The only reply he received was one from a voice, one that had seemingly materialized behind them…

"Glad you remember me………"

Before either SeeD had a chance to raise the alarm – two gunshots echoed through the tense silence – ultimately sealing both their fates as their frames seemingly crumpled to the concrete beneath their feet………it seemed the usually blade-wielding winged teenager had discarded his blade for use of different weapons – handguns to be exact………

* * *

Christi looked around the familiar cafeteria…she smiled, trying her utter best to enjoy what was going on…but the mother couldn't shake the heaviness of her heart – her son was now their enemy…and a top priority at that………she'd never felt so confused in her life – what was she supposed to do if it came to her against Jamie; he had still to beat her in a sparring match, but; what effects on his skills would Jenova have caused, and even if she still could better him in fighting aspect of the battle; would she have the will to go against her heart and do what was necessary for the greater good – she doubted it…very much so………

Genesis looked up as he sensed her nearby…only a handful of gazes met his, those being; Angeal, Rika, Zack and Cloud – another person sensed her too, but kept her eerily glowing steel hued irises trained on the table she sat at…even as she spoke she still didn't bring her gaze up to meet the others;

"She can't be here this soon…the SeeDs and the candidates are only after being briefed on the task………I'm not ready………"

Genesis simply sighed and turned on his heels, making for the nearest exit of the vast cafeteria – the tone of her voice alone was enough to stab at his heart, but he didn't have a choice in the matter; he was a SOLDIER, and the safety of the planet came before that of any one individual person – regardless of blood ties………but no matter how many times the revered red-coated male told himself this; it didn't convince him either; all he found was his thoughts to be reverting back to what Rika had said to him, what seemed like, a lifetime ago now; _I know you work for ShinRa now – but as far back as I can remember; your family has always come before your commitment to SOLDIER…so what makes it so different this time round?_

Whilst all the adults began to rise from their seats, albeit grudgingly as they knew what was to come, a small group had already left the cafeteria – even without the notice of their parents………

* * *

**_A/N; Next chapter - all hell breaks loose!_**


	18. True Intentions and New Arrivals

_**A/N; A redo of the last chappie - let me know what ye think!**_

* * *

"Damn it!"

Squall unintentionally allowed the swear to fall from his lips as he snapped his phone shut again – having failed to get in contact with the two SeeDs who were supposed to have been keeping a check on the front of the Garden…things were getting way too weird – they all knew that _**she**_ was close – way to close for comfort, and with her was most probably Sephiroth, the Remnants and DGS………but then how come they had not yet announced their arrival? What were they waiting for – _**why **_were they waiting? Maybe it was all part of the their plan; by stalling – they had succeeded in causing everyone to second guess themselves, all of them not being sure what to make of the happenings, and letting their guards down unintentionally………

Reno looked around, slightly jumpy as he sensed all the others' edgy dispositions…but something was still bothering him in relation to the parents' ease at letting the teenagers out of their sights………

"They're not gonna believe what we told them yo………"

Several heads turned to face the wiry assassin as his voice broke the uneasy silence and he continued, evidently having thought much on what he was saying for once;

"They're not gonna believe that Jamie's against us – he's their friend yo; there gonna try and find him and talk some sense into him…and if Jenova _**is**_controlling him; then Elmyra's in deep crap – she's part Cetra yo………"

Upon hearing the Turk's words – Aerith snapped her head around to face her husband, worry etched into her normally serene features, and clearly depicted in her vivid green irises………but Zack had already exited the cafeteria in search of his daughter…followed closely by pretty much anyone else that had been present in the room, albeit most of them heading in different directions, as no one was quiet sure of which way the teenagers had gone………

* * *

"Squall; where're you going?!"

"Out front…"

Rinoa stared at her husband as he separated from the rest and made for the lobby, evidently intent on making for the outside of the Garden to find out why the hell the two SeeDs weren't checking in any longer…but he was going alone – which he knew himself from his SeeD training all those years ago, was not a smart thing to do…she knew the saying; _herded sheep made for easy targets_, but this wasn't the same thing; at least if he were to run into any enemies whilst accompanied; they'd have more of a chance of getting out of a fight with their lives than going it alone………

"I'll go with you…"

Rinoa looked up from her silent debating as Seifer walked towards where Squall had halted…a small smile spread fleetingly across her lips; the two males had never seen eye to in – ever………but it looked as if time had forged a form of understanding between the two, and Minerva herself knew time had taken its' sweet time in forging that understanding!

* * *

"Rika………"

Rika turned as she registered the voice of her brother…an almost pleading tone in his voice; a tone she was certainly not accustomed to…the female ex-SOLDIER smiled against her inner turmoil as she faced her older half-sibling, trying her utmost not to lose face this late into the game…she had already made her choice and intentions clear to the one person she knew would not break a promise…and now it was time.

"Angeal, please don't…you promised; this is my choice brother…please; I need your help with it; I know that I'm not going to be able to do it when she takes over, and I don't want to hurt anyone………please Angeal?"

Angeal merely nodded his head, his heart aching as the promise he had committed himself to came back to haunt him…but a promise was a promise…and he had never broken one willingly before – now was not the time to change that; even if she was his little sister…even if it did hurt him inside…even if she was the last member of his family still alive – he had promised, and would stick by his promise; no matter what...

* * *

"I don't believe this………"

Squall shook his head, speaking quietly as he placed two of his fingers against the jugular region of one of the bodies throats…no rhythmical pulse met his touch; only cold lifeless skin………he had known something was wrong; but he'd never thought this – that one of his best friend's son (obviously on about Christi, not Seifer!) had murdered two of his best SeeDs in cold blood; that wasn't the kid he'd witnessed grow up – it was a monster! The headmaster gritted his teeth slightly as he moved onto the second bloody prone form……….

Seifer disregarded the man he'd spent his youth butting heads with as something else caught his attention…for some reason; the father felt his attention being drawn to the electronic entrance gates – more so; the check-in booth there………as he silently approached the booth in which the same man from his younger days at the Garden usually resided; the SeeD felt his stomach drop slightly; more so once he caught sight of the shattered glass on the ground…as his blue eyes came up from the ground before his feet; Seifer saw the blood splatter on the back wall of the booth…one look into the ruined and ravaged booth and his suspicions were confirmed………

"Leonhart…get over here!"

* * *

Jamie smirked lightly upon sighting the other teenagers entering the vast lobby, only seconds after he'd witnessed his supposed father and headmaster exiting via the front doors of the school…all of his allies now waiting outside in the shadows – awaiting his order to start their fun………and this was where his started………

"Charlie – look!"

Charlie ShinRa shot his blue gaze up as Aj grabbed him by the left shoulder, halting him roughly…but whatever the sole heir to the empire of the ShinRa company had intended on saying to the blonde got stuck in his throat as he spotted what the youngest of the Strife's had………

"Jamie?"

The teenager nodded his head, a fake smile spreading across his lips as the manipulating started;

"Yes?"

"Where the hell were you?! What the hell's goin on – they told us you were with Sephiroth and that Jenova was back – what's goin on?!"

The hazel-haired youth shrugged his shoulders as he approached the throng of six teens…knowing the state of confusion they were currently in and how easy it was to get close enough…he just needed to get near that girl with the black hair; then that would one of the two troublesome Cetra's out of the way………

Elmyra smiled as her friend came closer…the friendly and forwardness of her father shinning through as she was the first out of the usual group to step towards their friend………but something made her stop about a foot from the winged teenager as she spotted something out of the ordinary;

"Your eyes were always blue Jamie…but…why…how…they're green now – how is that even possible – _**ughhh**_………"

The eighteen-year-old daughter of Zack and Aerith blinked several times as she tried to comprehend why there was such a pain in left side of her torso – she'd been talking; and then………

"Elmyra!"

Zack ran as his Mako-shimmering gaze fell upon the sight of his daughter's frame crumpling to the floor as a deep crimson liquid seemed to materialize alongside her unmoving body………the SOLDIER only had eyes for his daughter – his pride and joy…his everything………and the harrowing sight of the small knife's hilt protruding through the flesh of her torso………

Jamie only smirked as he watched the youth fall to the ground at his feet…then looked up as the black-haired SOLDIER approached;

"That is one down – take a guess as to who is next human………you should attempt to improve your timing; only a minute or so earlier had you arrived; then my intentions would have been foiled; but – alas; too little too late………"

"_You bitch – you evil conniving whore! That's my friend!"_

The teenager turned and laughed disturbingly as more and more of his friends and family arrived in the cavernous lobby of Balamb Garden…all of them immediately noticing Zack picking up the frame of his daughter – the usually laid back SOLDIER's eyes livid with anger and hatred whilst the supposed seventeen-year-old went on;

"How amusing; Jamie seems to think that I am a bitch – a whore at that…she was his friend………ha-ha; like I actually care for such trivial matters!"

"Jamie!"

Alex attempted to run to the figure of her older brother as she followed Cissnei into the lobby, the female having been the one looking after her since they had all arrived back at Balamb…the young child was unaware of what had just transpired; and all her youthful mind could register was that her brother was back – but she couldn't comprehend why everyone else was so sad and…angry?

"Alex – no sweetheart!"

Christi just about managed to catch her daughter up as she attempted to run past…she had already lost one child to that monstrosity – she was damned if she was going to lose her second! But something weird happened as Alex called out to her brother as her mother caught her up………

"_Alex………**uhhh..."**_

Several sets of eyes locked onto the youth as he flinched slightly and shook his head…almost as if trying to shake off something………Zack looked to the teenager as he backed up a few paces, his eyes firmly shut – and then he opened them; to reveal their usual glowing blue irises……….Jamie looked to the SOLDIER before him, one of his best friends' unconscious body in his arms………

"Zack – I didn't mean it…I swear; I couldn't stop her – I tried; I swear it – _**Ahhhhhhhhhh!**_"

The seventeen-year-old felt his knees buckle as an unbearable pain erupted within the confines of his head – causing the youth to cry out and clutch at the side of his head in evident agony………

"_Worthless human – do not fight me; you cannot win…I own __**youuuuuuuuuu!**__"_

"No…you…don't – _**Ahhhhhhhhhh!**_"

Nobody knew how to react as the teenager cried out – none of them had an iota of what war was now being fought between the youngster and the millennia old being…they all just remained still as the youth's irises shot between his customary eerily glowing blue and hers' cold uncaring jade………and as the teenager stood back up to his feet; it was evident to see who had won control for the time being………

"_**Now!**_"

Before any one person could comprehend what was meant by the teenager's shout; shots echoed out and blood-curdling screeches of Shadow Creepers and Guard Hounds filled the relative silence of the night's air………

Genesis looked around as he entered the lobby along with Angeal and Rika…he had sensed Jenova's power changing rapidly; but had been unaware why her strength had upped and downed like that……….it seemed that he did not have time enough to even try and figure out why as all hell broke loose and the front doors of the school were blown from their usual place; opening the Mercenary school permanently………

"Nice to see you again…brother."

Within seconds; Genesis found himself to be crossing his crimson blade with that of Weiss' twin gunblades…it all seemed too familiar, and yet so different…the last time he had fought against his brother; his body had been severely weakened by the JXG formula, he had been in the last of its' poisoning bouts; but this was where things differed; his body wasn't already shutting down its' functioning this time around; he was at the height of his health; both physically and mentally………

Rosso quickly detached herself from the battling – her orders had been clear; deal with the computers firstly…then she could have whatever fun she whished to have with those who were stupid enough to come up against her…Weiss had already managed to send a virus to the school's computers via a remote terminal – whether it had been noticed yet was unknown; but it was there nonetheless………

"And just where d'you think you're goin hunnie?"

The crimson Tsviet halted at the top of the slight of stairs up to the elevator as an unfamiliar female voice sounded…her equally crimson irises came to rest on the form of a very unfamiliar female standing in front of the elevator – evidently blocking her way…the woman appeared to be of Wutain heritage; judging by her tanned skin and elegant features, her ebony locks strung up in a ponytail and cheeky smile on her face………

"It is no business of yours…I suggest you move my darling…"

And with that; the ever demented Tsviet took aim at the female with her bladed gun, her fingers' already hovering over the trigger………The female kept her smile up as she looked to the Tsviet; her cheeky and hyper-activeness taking over as she raised her two hands; hand guns in each;

"Hehe – don't threaten me with a gun bitch…they're _**my**_ speciality!"

Genesis turned his head as numerous curses and threats were heard – accompanied by the echo of two simultaneous shots…the unusual thing being; the curses and threats had been uttered in a thick Russian accent………the revered SOLDIER felt his eyes shoot impossibly wide as his eerily glowing irises focused on her laughing figure at the top of the stairs – evidently having been the cause behind the Tsviet's tumble……….

Angeal looked around as he heard a distantly familiar laugh join the chorus of shouts and shots; and then he spotted her, and his eyes shot wide with confusion and happiness………it took only seconds for Rika to notice the two SOLDIERs were no longer interested in the fighting at hand, and so; she too followed their gazes…a small smile gracing her lips as she spotted an old friend atop the stairs………

"Alex………"

Genesis had barely managed to breath the name when an almighty blow from his brother sent him hurtling back wards into the solid stone wall of the building and then falling quickly into the water below…the only shout he heard was from the woman atop the stairs, and even at that; it caused a smile to form on his face………

"Ah-ha – Genesis got whooped! Should've been paying attention Rhapsodos!"

* * *

_**A/N; Awwwww - poor Rosso got a nice little pressie!**_


	19. One Life For A Million

_**A/N; Okay - this is kinda the hardest part for Christi...or the nexy chapter, depending on my decision concerning her son...hehe - hope ye enjoy huns!**_

* * *

"Genesis – if you are alive; I suggest you get up and fight!"

Genesis dragged himself groggily to his feet at the sound of Weiss' almost mocking shout; all too aware of his soaking wet clothes and the trail of blood that made its' way down the right side of his face in tiny rivulets, its' source being the deep gash above his right eyebrow…the SOLDIER cursed himself foully for leaving his guard wide open like that – he'd been lucky it had only been a gash he had gained from the blow and not a fatal wound………

* * *

"That was very foolish, my darling – now you have annoyed me!"

Alex simply smirked and ducked down behind the railing as several shots sounded from where the now severally pissed off Rosso stood – evidently having taken shoot at the petite woman………as the Tsviet halted momentarily in her firing; Alex Yamamoto took her chance and shot back to her feet; hastily taking aim and firing…and, as it had always been; her aim was dead on as a lump of lead buried itself in the demented Tsviet's forehead and her frame toppled backwards………

* * *

Squall shot his gaze up rapidly as an alarm sounded and the pneumatic metallic doors began to slide shut automatically…the headmaster wasted no time in locating the nearest computer and entering his access code – only for it to be rejected………

"Squall – what's going on? Why's the defence kicking in?"

Christi kept her glowing steel hued irises trained onto her friend as he stepped away from the terminal, a look of slight shock and confusion on his features as he turned to face her…

"They must have uploaded a virus – it's overridden the system…I can't log in………can you re-route it?"

Christi shook her head as she attempted to type in her own numerical sequences…but to no avail;

"No…it's more advanced than any I've ever come across – I can't Squall…"

* * *

Genesis frowned slightly as the silvery-violet of the Sol Blade cut across Weiss' gunblade…Rika simply smirked slightly as she thrust outwards – using it as leverage to throw the Tsviet leader back a few paces, then turned to face the dubious red-coated SOLDIER;

"The computers are going down, Christi and Selphie can't contain the virus…and I know that there's a certain person here who can – so go help her already Genesis!"

And with that last word; Rika had lunged back into the mass of fighting individuals…this time taking Genesis' opponent so as to free up the enigmatic SOLDIER………

Alex looked up several black feathers rained down from above her head – the female of short stature smiled genuinely as he touched down only a foot or so from where she stood………without so much as a word of explanation; the Banola raised woman had already wrapped her tanned arms around his neck as tears streaked unwillingly down her cheeks………she'd watched her daughter for over fifteen years until both father and daughter had been reunited…she watched over the two of them, she'd convinced the Ancients that he had earned the right to a second chance…she'd watched her daughter's wedding day, the birth of her two beautiful grandchildren………and now; she too had been permitted the second chance she had so strived for………

"I missed you…so much Genesis………"

Genesis simply smiled as he rested his chin lightly atop her head; revelling in the sound of her voice, her upbeat presence, her energy, her smell, the heat from her body against his cold and wet SOLDIER uniform………all of which he knew were not possible if it were only another of his dreams - this was real...

"Not nearly as much as I have missed you………"

* * *

"Squall – the control mainframe is in the computer hall; correct?"

Squall nodded his head, slightly at a loss as to what to say as he looked to Genesis and the woman beside him…her eyes were so familiar, and yet; he was perfectly sure that he had never seen her before in his life………

"Umm…yeah; but Christi and Selphie can't contain it…Christi's still trying to track down the corrupted file that caused it, but the databanks are massive………"

Both Christi and Selphie turned as each heard her respective name…Selphie eyed the unfamiliar female with an air of slight wariness – the hyperactive SeeD all too aware of where they were and how many enemies were currently there…one could easily slip past their notice if it wanted to………Christi, on the other hand, just stared at the woman – she couldn't honestly say she remembered her face, she had only been three when the crash had occurred – but she did know what her mother looked like thanks to the locket around her neck…the exact same one she had asked her father to open over seventeen years ago when he and ShinRa, along with AVALANCHE had arrived at Balamb Garden………

"Mom?"

Alex smiled as she nodded her head, then turned back to her husband, and tone of urgency in her usually cheerful voice as she spoke, knowing that time was not something that they had in abundance there and then………

"I have no idea where the computer hall is – show me and I can probably halt the virus………"

* * *

Reeve turned on his heels as the door to the computer hall opened and two figures entered – both of which he recognised immediately…albeit slightly shocked and taken aback by the presence of one of them………

"Alex?!"

Alex grinned widely as she set about typing in numerical code after numerical sequence and opening countless windows in an attempt to single out the virus…and all whilst she remained talking;

"Halloooo Reeve! Long time no see – haha; heard you left ShinRa! Good choice! Also heard you and Shalua have a certain _**thing**_ going – can you confirm those rumours Mr. Tuesti?"

Reeve opened his mouth in a bid to allow some speech out – but nothing came out as the commissioner of the WRO was unable to find the words capable of depicting what his thoughts were………instead; a certain one-eyed lab scientist found the perfect wording of her query;

"You're dead – you've been dead with years upon years – how come you're here Alex?"

"Awwwww– nice to see you to Shalua! Long story really short – Ifalna; Aerith's biological mammy had a major discussion with all the other Ancients that guard the crossing of people to and from the Lifestream…and then they told me that I had proved to them my worthiness of a seconds chance….so that's why….and………_**done!**_"

Genesis smirked to himself as Alex stood back up from the mainframe, having already halted the advanced data virus quicker than he had dared time – Minerva herself knew of the female's formidable ability with a computer………

"_**Wuuuh!**_"

Alex left the slight shout out as an un-merciless blast shook the Garden down to its' core, causing all inside to lose their balance momentarily as the floor seemingly shifted beneath their feet………but the woman needn't have worried about landing flat on her butt as strong arms caught her slight frame, she looked up and smirked as she found herself to be gazing into eerily glowing aqua irises…...without so much as another thought on the matter; Alex stood and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, bringing his lips down to meet hers whilst she stood on her toes, longing for his taste……..Genesis easily complied as he felt himself being pulled downwards and wrapped his toned arms around her slender waist…delighting in the way she parted her lips and teeth to allow his tongue to slide along hers………

"I hate to interrupt you two – but this isn't the time or the place…I reckon you're needed Genesis and your marksmanship wouldn't go astray Alex………"

Alex grinned as her and Genesis separated and looked to the smiling Shalua;

"Hehe – Rosso didn't think so…...bitch – that'll teach her to threaten me with a gun again; they're _**my**_ thing!"

Genesis furrowed his hazel eyebrows slightly as her heard her words, trying his best to keep the hint of amusement from his voice as he spoke – he'd learnt the hard way not to take the piss out of her; he had done so before, shortly before he and Angeal had left for SOLDIER…it had ended in her leaping from her perch in the White Banola Apple tree and down on-top of his back; successfully sending the two of them for a tumble down the hill they'd been on top of…all whilst Angeal had looked on in amusement.

"Did you kill her?"

"Well – if she can still fight with a hole between her eyes; then no…and if not; then yeah………SOLDIER-boy!"

Genesis smiled as he turned, evidently intent on returning to his duties as a SOLDIER…no matter how elated he now felt; there was still a war raging outside of the computer hall…and his family was at the very core of it…then a thought struck the enigmatic man; causing him to turn back to face Shalua;

"Can you get to the infirmary immediately………"

Shalua nodded as she stood, knowing her medical skills would have been needed sooner or later, but just one question reverberating through her mind as she did so;

"Who's hurt?"

"Elmyra…Zack and Aerith's daughter………she got stabbed."

"By who – one of the Remnants?!"

At this Genesis shook his head, a look of guilt forming in his gleaming irises as he spoke whilst walking out the door behind him………

"No…nor the Tsviets…Jamie stabbed her."

But whereas the red-coated SOLDIER had already begun his exiting of the room; he never made it the whole way; a hand gripped his upper arm and turned him on the spot…he found himself to be looking into her steel eyes as she spoke…an air of knowing about her voice as she refused to break eye contact with him, she had waited so long to be able to give out to him like this; she was not letting him off that easily!

"Don't you dare walk away with that thought in your head Rhapsodos! He's not lost to her; he fought her – he tried! He still is…if you give up on him; then what's to stop him giving in to her altogether?!"

Genesis pulled his arm free slowly as he addressed his wife – yeah; Jamie was both their grandson…but her also knew that Christi wouldn't have the heart to fight her own son, and he understood why; there was no way on Gaia he would have been able to go against Christi; his daughter………but Jenova was using the teenager as a puppet; and if the only way to rid the planet of her was by means of ending one teenage life; then wasn't that a small price to pay in the long run? Even if that one teenager was his own grandson………

"Alex…do not use the guilt-trip on me; I have thought about this to a great extent; but I do not see any other option…if there was even the slightest hope that I could save him; then I would gladly do anything to accomplish that – he is my grandson; do you seriously believe I want to kill him?!"

Alex shook her head of ebony locks…this was just so unfair; after years upon years of merely watching and guiding from beyond the veil; she had now been given the chance to be reunited with her family…only for her grandson to be taken away………

* * *

Christi looked all around her as the fighting raged onwards…the war had taken its' hold fully outside as all the adversaries had quiet literally trashed the lobby of the Mercenary school…already they were taking the brunt of the assault…Elmyra, along with a few of the younger Turks and SeeD candidates had been brought to the infirmary due to being the first fatalities of the battling.

So far; the only encouraging news they had received was that one of the Tsviets had already been dealt with…but by who's gun was still a mystery to all – all they knew was the Crimson Tsviet now lay in a pool of her own crimson at the bottom of the stairs that led to the elevator…who had dealt with the most disturbing of the infamous SOLDIERs was unknown; but appreciated nonetheless!

* * *

"What the hell did they do to you Jamie?"

Jamie turned from where he had just dealt with two more of those troublesome SeeDs to see a teenage girl standing opposite him; she had light brown hair and deep hazel irises…San shook her head as she looked to the lad she had agreed to go out with…everything had been fine up until then; until his body had rejected the last of the Jenova cells and the seventeen-year-old had literally dropped in the Turk's lounge………

"Nothing…I just saw my opportunity and grabbed it-"

"I wasn't talking to you! I was talking to Jamie!"

San glared at the figure of her friend with a fiery gaze…she knew it wasn't the youngster she had fallen for who was committing all these horrendous deeds…she wanted to talk to _**him**_; Jamie Almasy - not Jenova! She wanted to make sure he was okay – she was so worried about him………

"San, get away from me…get away from me _**now!**_"

The Turks' daughter felt her eyes shoot slightly wider as she bore witness to the shades of the youth's irises melding from jade to glowing blue…_now_ Jamie was talking…but what he had said to her took her aback by the venom that laced the tone of his voice…

"But – I don't want to see you get hurt Jamie…there has to be another way – all the SeeDs, Turks and grunts were told to eliminate you at all costs – they're gonna kill you! Please…just come back; please?!"

Jamie shook his head as he wavered slightly…the pain of her constant strive for control already overwhelming him………he wished it was just as easy as San had put it – he honestly did; but he couldn't fight her…she was just too strong………

"San…I – I can't………"

"Why not – Jamie; I'm begging you here…_**please**_?!"

"_Awww – how sweet…I shall permit her a quick death; how does a Shadow Creeper or a Guard Hound abide by your wishes human?"_

"_**Ahhhh………**_"

San felt herself take a few more steps closer as the eldest of the Almasy youths crashed to his knees, clutching desperately at the sides of his head…tears of desperation and agony rolling down his cheeks as he felt his control slipping once more………

"San – please; it's not….as simple as that…I can't keep fighting her………run; get as far away from me…she wants to hurt you…I don't want to kill you San…_**ahhhhh-haaa!**_"

San felt the tell-tale warm streaks trailing down he cheeks as she heard his heart-wrenching cries………several others' turned their gazes towards the source of the cries as the usual sounds of battle and fighting was interrupted by them………Sephiroth eyed the teenager with a slight air of amusement…he hadn't thought one of such youthful years could have been capable of fighting against Mother's power…but then again; his mother had on that faithful night in Midgar, the night he had thought he had succeeded in removing Genesis from the equation permanently………but the Nightmare had miscalculated on that instance………but as the epiphany of dark desired attempted to stride in the direction of the teenager at the heart of the whole battle; a two buster swords blocked his path; one wielded by a cheeky spikey; black-haired SOLDIER, whilst the other was in the capable grasp of the spikey; blonde-haired delivery boy………

"SeeDs – take care of the main objective!"

As Squall left shout his order, of which all persons enrolled or working at Balamb Garden were obliged to follow due to the fact that he was the headmaster of the Garden, the man turned and locked gazes with one of his longest and best friends, a look of utmost regret upon his face as he spoke;

"Please don't hate me for what's about to happen Christi…I honestly don't have any other choice…I'm sorry………"

Christi blinked as she tried to register what Squall had insinuated behind his words…after several seconds; it clicked – the mother spun on her heels as she heard numerous guns being raised and cocked…and then she spotted their intended target…her seventeen-year-old son………

"No! Jamie! Squall; call them off – please Squall?! That's my son – _**Squall!**_"

Squall turned away as Seifer was forced to grab his wife around the waist to halt her from running into the crossfire…it was breaking his heart too – but he didn't have a choice in the matter…one life to save millions………it was just cruelty that it had been their son's life that destiny had chosen to play the part………

"Reno – let me go! Please; they're gonna kill him if we don't d-"

"I know San – and that's why I can't let ya go yo………"

San halted her struggling as she heard the sadness in her godfather's voice…he didn't like either; but there was no other option in the long run………

* * *

As the youth stared at all the guns surrounding him and aimed directly for him, a slight smile lit up his features, and not one triggered by the deranged mind of the Calamity herself – but from the teenager's smart attitude;

"End of the line Jenova………"

"_Allow me control and I shall save you human…"_

"I don't need to be saved…I'm not scared of dying; not anymore…so fuck you _**Mother**_!"

Jamie wearily and shakily pulled himself up off of the ground and stood facing those who still had their weapons raised his way…squinting hard as he tried his best to ignore the growing agony within the confines of his skull…_**she**_ was panicking – he was willing to die to prevent her from getting her way………she needed another host, and quickly at that………as the pain increased steadily, Jamie took a staggering breath as he felt his knees start to give way again and said his part;

"If you're gonna kill me; then do it now while I know I still have some control – don't let me die a prisoner to her!"

* * *

Rika spun upon hearing countless gunshots echoing all the way around the outside of the garden, her shimmering amethyst irises fell upon the sight of Jamie staggering back a few feet………

"No!"

Rika cursed herself as she tried her best to disengage from her battle with Weiss – everything she had planned had just fallen apart right in front of her eyes – she should have acted sooner; if she had – then Jamie would have been free of Jenova's hold and her under it in his place…and then Angeal would have fulfilled his end of the promise………but the end result would have been to save the teenager…and now as she bore witness to more shots being fired; Rika knew in her heart and soul that the teenager was doomed………

* * *

Several people averted their gaze as the teenager standing in the middle of the circle of armed SeeDs staggered dangerously due to countless bullets striking him - ripping muscle, tendons, organs, veins and arteries as they tore through his flesh at an unmerciless speed...Zack stared at the ground as more shots rang out - it was just all too familiar for the SOLDIER to bear witness to...hadn't he gone throught the exact same thing on that bluff? And no matter how angered he was at his daughter being injured - he knew in his heart and soul that it hadn't been done willingly by the teenager who now remained half on his feet as his strength began to abandon him...Zack knew what it was like to die that death - and he wouldn't have wished it on his worst enemy!

Jamie felt his knees finally give way as another struck…how many bullets had already hit him; he didn't know… he had lost count after fifteen………but not once did the youth attempt to cry out or call for help of his numerous family and friends who stood outside the circle of SeeDs that surrounded him…it was hard enough for his mother and father without him asking for mercy – he had succumbed to Heaven's Dark Harbinger…and this was his penance.

But as Jamie felt the pavement at his back, signalling he could fall no further, but simply wait the short moments until the last of his strength ebbed away, and odd sensation took over, a weight being lifted from him, from his conscience; his mind………but just as Jamie began to feel his senses numbing, someone else near-by felt an oppressive being press down hard upon her mind…and with that; Rika Hewley staggered slightly; a blinding pain shooting through her mind as _**Mother**_ made herself known………

* * *

_**A/N; So - is Jamie gonna live or die huns? And what happens between Rika and Angeal now????????**_


	20. Taking Control

_**A/N; sorry this took so long again huns! Would you believe me if I said my internet was acting the asshole again? Well - there you go! I swear - everytime I say it's working; it breaks again!**_

* * *

Silent tears of anguish streamed down her face as she looked to her son – her baby………Christi stopped her struggling as she sunk to the ground, sobs wracking every inch of her body…but she was far from the only person who bore the telltale streaks down their cheeks…several youths who had been in the same year and rank as the seventeen-year-old bore tear streaked faces – sure; most of them had never seen eye to eye with the eldest of the Almasy children, but they had all known of him, his family's reputation, his connection to the revered SOLDIER force and his skills as a SeeD candidate…they'd watched him with his little sister, and with his family and friends…and they had been ordered to take him down………

Cloud looked up as the first droplets of water fell from the inkiness of the nights' sky above…a mere drizzle that quickly developed into a downpour within seconds…the blonde, strangely, felt himself thinking back over a certain aspect that had changed his life…had it seriously been that long ago now? Cloud blinked the droplets from his shimmering cerulean irises as he looked over to a friend of his………

Zack merely shook his head and turned away from Cloud's gaze, deftly tightening his grip on the handle of his buster sword as he faced up his old General yet again – he knew exactly what was going through the blonde's head, the same thing had been going through his………but no matter how angry and hateful he was due to his daughter being injured – the cheeky SOLDIER found it impossible to hold any form of grudge towards the youth he'd watch grow up…Zack knew it wasn't by Jamie's own volition that he'd hurt Elmyra………

* * *

Genesis took a step forward upon he and Alex landing…the SOLDIER had quickly noticed his grandson's form surrounded by gun-wielding SeeDs…yeah; he knew what had needed doing, and he had admitted that both to himself and his wife – but now that it had been done; all he felt was overwhelming guilt; all that had transpired had been his fault; it had been due to his DNA that Jamie had inherited the degenerative gene – if the teenager's DNA hadn't been degenerating as it had; then the youth wouldn't have been tempted to accept the J-Cells in the first place – his grandson wouldn't be dying right in front of his eyes at that very moment in time………but before the revered SOLDIER had even time enough to complete two steps forwards – his back collided with a wall at an unmerciful force…

"Genesis!"

Alex found herself pushing rubble and debris away as she called her husband's name – she had waited countless years to be reunited with him, she was damned if he was going to be taken away from her that easily!

"Emmy – what the hell are you playing at!?"

Zack shot his gaze from where Genesis was pulling himself back to his feet, to where Rika stood, her hand outstretched towards the red coat wearing SOLDIER………Rika simply smirked darkly as she eyed teenager that lay, still breathing, albeit shallowly, on the ground before her…without even so much as a moments' hesitation; the ex-SOLDIER drew back her leg and let fly at the fatally wounded youth………

"_**Ahhhhh………"**_

Jamie rolled over as he came to a halt several feet from where he'd lay…he could hardly breathe as it was, and had no idea of what had hit him…the teenager managed to drag himself to his knees and hands before violently coughing up blood and collapsing back onto the ground, his body too weak and injured to support his own weight any longer………

"What foolishness – you believed that by allowing yourself to be eliminated, that I would follow! Now you will pay the price for that human!"

Jamie made no response as a hand gripped the front of his denim jacket and dragged him from where he had lay and brought him to her eye level………but no usual recognition or caring shone from her amethyst irises – only a demented and dark gleam as she placed her free hand against the defenceless teenager's torso………

Jamie found himself to be hurtling backwards as the Calamity released an identical blast to that of the one that had sent his grandfather colliding with the wall………San watched on in horror as Jamie's form came to a halt and stayed still…the winged youth making absolutely no attempt whatsoever to stand or to defend himself against the unmerciful nature that had fallen upon the female that had saved his little sister from Rosso all those weeks ago………

* * *

"No…you don't go near her – I know of everything you put her through…I know of what transpired that night in Nibelheim…trust me Sephiroth; I know more of what was lost that night than even you do………you broke her spirit and heart that night, and I'm never going to forgive you for hurting my sister!"

Sephiroth merely frowned slightly as Angeal stood in his path, his katana raised in an offensive manner – they had been friends at one stage; all three of them; Angeal, himself, and Genesis; but then life had thrown so much in their way that they had inevitably lost their connections………but that was no excuse for Angeal to deny him access to the one that now housed his Mother…but what had he meant about knowing more about what was lost that night? He wasn't aware of anything being lost; and surely he would have noticed, especially when one considered that he had been the cause and at the centre of all that had happened during that faithful night in Nibelheim………the Nightmare stepped back a pace or two as he renewed his grip on his feared Masamune;

"If I must go through you; then so be it Angeal………"

* * *

"Alex – move!"

Alex made to say something as Genesis shouted the ordered at her – but was cut short as she felt his hands push her roughly to the ground below…the fiery-tempered female had only collided with the cold, wet concrete as the sound of clashing metal filled her ears; she looked up to see Genesis' crimson blade to be parrying two identical gunblades………the gun wielding woman wasted no time in crawling to safety and regaining her feet, then turned to survey the battling; putting her skills a battle technician and strategist to the test once again………

* * *

Jamie cracked his eerily glowing blue eyes open painfully as he wavered on the edge of consciousness and permanent sleep…he could see the danger they were all in – and he knew in his very heart and soul that his family and friends, along with all others who had aided in the battle up until then, were losing – and he couldn't help them; only watch on until his body succumbed to its' injuries.

"_Jamie…"_

The severely wounded seventeen-year-old looked up as a female's voice whispered almost inaudibly to him…to his shock; his irises came to rest on San; but it hadn't been her voice that had affronted his hearing………

"San…I – I'm sorry………I guess…I'll have to…take a……rain-check…on that…date, huh?"

San smiled despite herself…and that's why she had fallen for the youth in the first place; his sense of humour and laidback personality………but now her heart was breaking; she could see the paler than usual tinge to his skin and the forced note in his voice…without even noticing it; the Turks' daughter allowed a tear to roll rebelliously down the length of the cheek;

"Jamie…I'm sorry; I didn't know………"

San trailed off as sobs took hold of her vocal box – all of which were silenced as she felt his cold hand against her cheek and his lips against hers…but just as she grew comfortable with the unexpected kiss; he broke it off with a smile;

"Don't hit me…I just wanted…to do….that – just once………"

"Young love – how stomach turning; so you are the one he holds feeling for?"

Rika smiled falsely at the unwise San Tothva…a hand taking aim at the teenager, determined to deal a blast of the same sort she had already dealt to both Genesis and Jamie unto the Turks' daughter…a smile which was quickly replaced by a look of pure anger as her newly found target was removed from her sights………

San shut her eyes tight as she braced herself for the impact – but it never came; instead she felt herself being swiped from her feet and then the stomach turning sensation of weightlessness took hold…after several seconds; she opened her eyes; only to catch a glimpse of the battle raging tens upon tens of feet below…

"How the fuck-"

"San – don't move; please…it's hard enough to keep at this height as it is………"

Jamie winced slightly as San shifted in his arms – he didn't know where he'd suddenly found the strength to; but he'd managed to take flight before Rika had been able to launch the blast at San…but for how long the youth could maintain his airborne vantage was probably not a period of great length; considering the blood he had already lost………

"You can run; but you most certainly cannot hide!"

Jamie pulled up as Rika lowered herself into his path…her two white wings spread wide as she eyed the teenager with an air of annoyance etched upon her features…

"_Jamie…"_

Jamie looked down upon hearing the whisper yet again; but San had her arms wrapped around his neck, and her face buried in his chest – it seemed the Turk in training had suddenly discovered her disliking of heights the hard way………Jamie looked around quickly; if there was a way he could get close enough to ground level, then her could drop San off – at least then she wouldn't get hurt………the teenager smirked slightly as an idea came to mind; without another moments' thought about it; Jamie tucked in his black-feathered wing and began to plummet towards the ground below………

"Jamie!"

San screamed as she glimpsed the ground rushing up to meet them at an unimaginable speed and buried her head further into the teen's chest in an attempt to hide from the imminent impact…Jamie smiled slightly as he felt her grip tighten around his neck;

"Don't worry…we're not…gonna splatter San…… - Irvine; catch!"

Irvine looked up just in time to see Jamie spread his wing wide and let go of San…of whom the sharpshooter caught in his arms as the winged teenager looked behind him………

Jamie gasped as an elbow to the middle of his back sent the ground rushing up to meet him…the teenager felt fresh blood trickle down the left side of his face as he skidded along the pavement…the last of his strength evaporating; he may have been able to help San – but it had cost him whatever strength his body had retained in reserve………the teenager looked up as footsteps greeted his diminishing sense of hearing…his gaze fell upon the owner of the elbow that had caused him to crash-land as he had…and that of her silver/violet Sol Blade coming down fast upon his frame…Jamie screwed his eyes shut; awaiting the final blow; but it never came; instead – the unmistakeable echo of clashing blades sounded………

"Will the insolence ever end? Why are you so determined to protect one that is so obviously at death's door itself? Is it not pointless to waste your resources on one that is already doomed?"

"Shut it!"

Jamie allowed his eyes to open as he registered the male's voice…his eyes proved the fact of the individual's identity…it was all the youth could do but to voice a few of the words that spun around his head;

"Dad…don't………please…"

Seifer kept Hyperion raised as Rika stepped back, a slight look of amusement upon her face as she took in the sight of the father protecting his son………it was all the same to her; both would eventually meet their ends at her hands if she had her way – and she most certainly would…

"How precious! Daddy to the rescue…stupidity is well and truly alive tonight, is it not?!"

He knew he was no match for her, even without housing Jenova; Rika was an ex-SOLDIER; it was well known that the revered SOLDIER force was one to be reckoned with; even against the SeeDs – but that didn't matter any longer – even if he was no match; he could still try! Jamie was his son; he'd fight till his last breath to protect him if that was what was needed………

* * *

"So you're my brother-in-law aswell then?"

Alex spoke quietly to herself as she took aim at the opposition's toughest ally – she'd been watching the battle closely for the last ten minutes or so, and had noticed the one Tsviet who had been depleting their forces with frightening ease…it was simple really; if he was the one responsible for defeating so many, so quickly; then he was the one who needed dealing with as soon as possible………Alex smirked as the perfect sentence to capture the black haired Tsviet's attention sprung to mind;

"Hey, Nero; I bedded your brother!"

Nero spun upon hearing the shout, his mind spinning as he tried to place the face of the woman of whom his red irises landed upon…leaving his guard down as he did so………Alex took her chance almost immediately and squeezed in on the triggers of her hand-guns………Nero quickly followed the same line of direction that Rosso had.

"_**Ahhh**_! You little bastard!"

Alex glared at the eldest of the Remnants as her left hand clutched her right shoulder, stemming the blood flow from the bullet wound she had just obtained, compliments of Yazoo…

"You silver haired fucking pansy! Go off to Mammy for yourself you bastard!"

Alex continued with her cursing and insulting, even as the remaining two Remnants joined their brother…not caring for one minute if she was or was not causing their anger to grow…Loz smirked slightly as he readied his dual-hound;

"Wanna play?"

"Don't be fucking thick! How old are you and you go around asking people if they want to play with you – grow the fuck up you bollix! And if any of you three ever attempt to touch my daughter again; I swear to Minerva I will personally bury a bullet in each of your heads – you three fucking retarded assholes – _**wuuh!**_"

Alex was cut short of her foul-mouthed shouts and insults as arms closed around her waist and she was yanked upwards………Genesis smiled, despite himself; he had forgotten what a sharp tongue his wife had possessed…

"Alex; you cannot keep losing your head like that; those three could have easily killed you where you stood!"

"Fuck off Genesis – I wasn't done giving them a bollicking yet! Hehe – I met my brother-in-law! Nero's better looking than you and Weiss!"

Genesis blinked as he registered his wife's words – she certainly didn't believe in the subtle approach anyhow…

"Do you want me to drop you Alex?!"

* * *

Seifer bit back a gasp as the force behind Rika's blow sent jolts the length of his arms, causing his joints to jar painfully…but it didn't matter; he kept on trading blows with her, oblivious to the nicks and cuts on his face and arms as he fought to protect his son………nothing else mattered anymore………

* * *

"Have you any idea of what you put her through!"

Angeal did not even attempt to hide the anger that laced his voice; Rika was his little sister, and Sephiroth had tried to kill her all those years ago, he'd left her for dead in the blazing ruins of Nibelheim after he had rendered her unconscious and beat her up, the only reason she had not been consumed by the flames was because Zack had found her and pulled her clear of them, but not before she had suffered serious burns to her legs…after that it had been the Nightmare's father to have his fun with her – experiment after experiment had rendered her body infertile and unsuitable to bear child again…he'd robbed her of her second chance of mother-hood………

"Do you even know why she hates you now…_**friend**_?"

Sephiroth pulled short of landing another blow as curiosity took hold of his thoughts…he had pondered over that many times, but had never really met a reason to his liking…maybe Angeal could?

"Enlighten me then, seems you appear to hold that knowledge."

And, as to emphasize his words; Sephiroth lunged with another blow, one that Angeal just about managed to parry, although angered by the slyness of the jab – he hadn't been giving the blade his full attention upon Sephiroth speaking – if he hadn't have acted quickly; then this fight would have been over…Angeal swung his katana around savagely, not even attempting to back down as his blade clashed with the Masamune – instead; he glared over the clash as he spoke through gritted teeth;

"Rika was pregnant, she had meant to tell you that night – but you never gave her the chance – you almost killed her………she lost the baby because of the injuries you left her with – you killed your own child Sephiroth!"

* * *

A usual - your opinion and pointers are more than welcome Angel Crisis Eos! Luffles ya hunnie! 


	21. Trying

**_A/N: And still the internet is screwed up - good thing I'm allowed to use the school ones! Anyhu - hope you like Angel!_**

* * *

"M…my child………"

Sephiroth broke off the clash as his supposed highly skilled intellect worked over-time in an attempt to comprehend what his ears had just heard………there was no way Rika had been pregnant that night – there was no way in hell he had killed his own child like Angeal had said he had – it just wasn't possible; if Rika had been pregnant, then he would have known – wouldn't he have?

"Lies – all_** lies!**_"

Angeal gritted his teeth against the force with which the Masamune struck his katana…it was all the SOLDIER could do just to keep his guard up – he had never once thought he could take Sephiroth alone; and now he was proving that fact, Sephiroth's skills as a SOLDIER had always been that bit above of his; no exceptions………but Rika was his little sister; and he still had his half of the promise to hold up………

"Angeal – move right!"

Angeal did as his friend had instructed immediately as a crimson blade entered the exchange………

* * *

"Nero, Weiss and Rosso are all dealt with – that leaves the fella with the tank, the three little smurfs and Mammy's little boy over there – a shit load of guard hounds and Shadow Creepers – and Rika………"

Zell looked up upon hearing the unfamiliar female's voice as she reported back on the status of the battle…but Zell being Zell had better things to find out than what way the battle was waging;

"Who are you?"

Alex grinned slightly before disappearing yet again into the folds of the fighting…

"My name's Alex Yamamoto – I'm Christi's mother, and Genesis wife…. Haha; that should confuse you for a while!"

* * *

Seifer bit back hard despite everything as his back met a wall with unimaginable force, driving the air from his lungs – but no matter how much the collision had hurt the blonde father; it was nothing in comparison to the pain that accompanied her blade's entrance, and exit through his left shoulder………

"_**Ahhh!**_"

"I told you – but would you listen; of course not; and now your son can watch you die also…look at it this way; he is not going to be far behind you at this stage!"

Seifer gritted his teeth hard as he ignored the agony emanating from his shoulder…all too aware of the fact that her blade now had him pinned against the wall…the father gritted his teeth all the harder as his SeeD training kicked in and he gripped her blade with his uninjured arm and rammed his foot outwards with all his strength; ultimately catching Rika off guard and sending her sprawling several feet backwards on the ground as a result to the surprise blow to her lower torso………Seifer bit down hard as he yanked her blade out from him, extracting it painfully from his shoulder………

Jamie watched on as his father crashed to his knees – everything the seventeen-year-old had believed in and held close to his heard was being ripped apart right in front of his eyes; his mother, a person he had always seen as top fighter of unwavering resolve and strength; had been reduced to tears………his father; the one person he'd thought would never be bested, he was his Dad – he was Superman………but now look; he'd been brought to his knees – and it was all his fault!

"Dad…I'm…sorry………"

Seifer smiled slightly, a fleeting smile that lasted no length whatsoever as the father became the one on the receiving end of an unmerciful kick – its' owner being Rika, as she had once again regained her footing.

"Dad!"

Rika turned upon hearing the teenager's shout, a dark look inhabiting her amethyst irises as she smiled and bent down, reclaiming her blade from where it had been dropped to the ground by Seifer after the blonde had removed it from his shoulder. The ex-SOLDIER strode over to where the teenager's prone form lay and bent down as she eyed him, finally having cleared a path to the youth who had almost succeeded in removing her from the face of the planet once again…

"Did that offend you, seeing your father being treated in such a way and coming to harm by my hands – and all due to your selfishness to accept your destiny…you humans disgust me! So insignificant and yet; so resilient and persistent it puzzles me – still; your race is destined for extinction, and that is a destiny I shall ensure meets no obstruction!"

Jamie smirked despite himself as he looked up to her, she had made a mistake in her wording of her thoughts, and he was just the person to point it out to her!

"I carry…your cells now – I'm part of…your race; and I…agree; this race…will meet…extinction – you'll…meet extinction Jenova………"

"Insolent little twerp!"

"_Jamie…"_

Jamie cried out as his head struck part of the still-standing wall, having been forced back several paces by Rika's foot for the second time that night. The teenager blinked in an attempt to clear his vision of the white stars that had begun to dance around the edges of his sights, them either being caused by his not-so-graceful impact with the wall, or the fact that his body had reached its' limitations, having already used much more energy than what should have still been possessed by the youth………Jamie glanced up as distanced footsteps greeted his hearing, but the odd thing being; the feet that had caused the echoing tread sounds were far from at a distance………Rika slowly ran her finger and thumb the length of her blade; causing the violet/silver hue to burst into a new life as ancient lettering became ablaze upon the Sol Blade – only to rapidly meld back into the colour of the sword…she smiled lightly upon noticing the teenager's confused gaze to be resting upon her; then slowly brought the hand she had ran the length of the blade up to her lips, licking off the deep crimson liquid that had gathered upon her fingers – Jamie swallowed back hard on the vomit that had began to rise within his throat at the sight of the female he had learnt to respect and admire tasting the blood of his father………

* * *

"Why would I lie to you about such a thing!"

Genesis spun to avoid a malicious jab, only for Angeal, of whom had shouted the question, to parry the blade that would have surely penetrated the back of the red-coated SOLDIER's back…Genesis returned his attention to the Masamune upon hearing his friend's angered shout – slightly at a loss as to know what the two were arguing about………Sephiroth advanced with particular venom as he spoke; his speech seemingly directed past Genesis and towards Angeal…

"I would have known Angeal – she would have informed me!"

Genesis ducked rapidly upon realising he would not be capable of blocking the swipe of a certain elongated sword…the SOLDIER furrowed his hazel eyebrows as he watched the other two carry on exchanging blows – he had the sneaking suspicion that the battle between the two had taken on a personal note, and that all the blows directed towards him were simply the results of being caught in the crossfire – but how or why it had obtained a personal level; he didn't know…and if there was one thing Genesis Rhapsodos did not appreciate; it was being left out of the loop on something!

"What, in the name of Minerva, are you two harping on about!?"

Angeal disregarded his friend's angered demand of a question; at that moment in time, Angeal Hewley had eyes for only one man and one man alone…and that was his former friend and General;

"You never allowed her the chance to Sephiroth – accept it! You murdered yours and Rika's child!"

Genesis ground to a halt mid-swing of his sword upon hearing Angeal's voice – and the tone that accompanied it………but had he heard correct? He had known of how Sephiroth had attempted to kill the one woman who had ever loved him for him, but Rika had never shared the fact of her pregnancy with him………

* * *

"Leave him alone – fight me; I'm still standing!"

Rika shook her head upon looking back over her shoulder – some people just never knew when to call it quits…and Seifer Almasy was a top-ranking member of that division………

Jamie groaned lowly as his stomach turned and his head began to thump desperately…but even as he just noticed what the symptoms were to be followed by; his eerily glowing irises rolled back in their sockets as the last of his strength left his body………

"Jamie! Jamie – answer me! _**Jamie!**_"

Rika merely laughed lightly as she cast her gaze from the teenager to his father…what a pitiful sight to take in; as far as her gaze would permit her to notice; the youth's chest had halted its' rhythmical rising and falling pattern………and the seventeen-year-old's father had noticed the same lack of movement as she had – hence his shouts to the youth………

"How sad – Daddy wasn't able to save him after all; poor dote...don't despair; you shall follow his path soon enough!"

"_Jamie…"_

That voice again – the same one he had heard the day he had attacked his grandfather in the training hall of ShinRa…the same one that had been impending upon his thoughts of late, and the same one he'd heard whisper to him throughout all the hardship and strife that had befallen his family friends due to his cowardice………but who was it? What did she want with him? Why did she want him now?

"Who are you?"

Jamie cracked his eyes open to find himself to be standing amidst a blackness, relieved by thousands of miniscule dots of lights, almost reminiscent of stars in the nights' sky………the teenager looked down to see himself standing on, quiet literally, nothing – only a sliver of shimmering green lit his way – to where; he honestly did not know, but it seemed like the right thing to go forward………

"_I am the guardian of this planet…"_

Jamie shot his eyes wide upon hearing her echoing response…the title rang a bell within the very deepest of his memories…ones from his early childhood – he had only been about the age of his little sister upon hearing his grandfather talk of her…of who she was, and what she controlled; her duty and responsibility to protect the planet of Gaia………

"Minerva………"

* * *

Next chapter's nearly done already - thanks huns!

XXXXX


	22. Ripped At The Seams

_**A/N; It will delight you all to know that Renolvr **_is_** alive! And I'm getting broadband tomorrow - thank fuck! This chapter goes out to the one and only Angel Crisis Eos...a very dear friend to me, and one who I would be totally lost without! Luffles ya hunnie!**_

* * *

"Jamie!"

"Shout all you like – he's not going to hear you!"

Seifer narrowed his blue irises in response to Rika's taunting words, his hand tightening painfully around Hyperion once more – all anger and hatred within the heart of the father had eventually reached its' boiling point – Jamie was his son; the eldest of his two children, either of which he would of gladly put his own life on the line for…after everything that had happened in his and Christi's younger years, all the pain and hardship they and their friends had been forced to endure, the battles and losses that had befallen them all…there _**had**_ been a light at the end of the tunnel for him and Christi; and that light had been their son! Sure; they may have been only young at the time of Jamie's birth; but they'd raised him and loved him as any parent would have; they'd protected them when he had needed it, helped him whenever he had needed it – and now, when it truly came down to the matter; he had failed to protect his son when it when he really needed help!

Christi spun on her heels as her hearing registered her husband's voice amongst the other screams and shouts that accompanied a battle, it took only mere seconds for the mother's eerily glowing slate grey irises to find the form of her son…but what really made the breath catch in her throat was the sight of her husband trading blows with Rika once more – Seifer was really giving it his all, despite the fact that he was no match for the ex-second in command of SOLDIER, he didn't care what befell him anymore; all that mattered was he was fighting her, she'd hurt his family – she'd just torn it apart at the very seams, and he was angry, and more hurt that he had ever been before in his entire life, the SeeD's heart was aching in his chest – threatening to split in two at any second; but he couldn't fall apart, he wasn't permitted to………

* * *

Genesis shifted his trademark luminescent eyes as he sensed another power level jump significantly…he had sensed it before - of that he was sure about, but it took another couple of seconds the formidable SOLDIER to reclaim the memory of when he had sensed that power, and as the memory replayed within his mind; his thoughts spun back to over seventeen years earlier, onboard the Shera bound for Balamb Garden, it had been after Christi had informed her that she was pregnant…just before he'd lost control of his own powers due to the presence of the JXG formula wreaking havoc on his body – she'd summoned her own power to combat his and protect herself………Genesis spun to locate anyone near enough to halt her as he shouted;

"Christi – stop! You cannot fight her with her own power – she will kill you! Alex; grab her!"

Alex turned as she released an empty magazine from her handgun, already having a full one in the other hand; ready to reload within seconds – but the full magazine never made it into the gun's empty shaft…instead; the gun clattered noisily to the ground as Alex shot forward and grabbed her daughter's arm; halting her advance on her husband's adversary………Christi fought against her mother's grip; her eyes remaining trained on the one person she now thoroughly hated to the very core of their being………

"Let me go!"

Alex shook her head as she yanked back on Christi's arm, effectively turning her daughter's frame around, so as their gazes met for the first real time that night;

"No! You were only three the last time we were together – I'm not going to stand by and let you get hurt Christi! I'm not going to lose my daughter again – I refuse to!"

"Jamie's my baby – Mom; she hurt my baby! She hurt Jamie, and now he won't answer Seifer's shouts, I want my baby back…I want my family back the way it was before all this shit – I want my son back………"

As the last of her words left her lips; Christi Almasy made to turn back around and continue with what she had been doing before her mother's grip had halted her…and yet the hand still remained firmly enclosed upon her upper arm as Alex spoke; knowing that her words were uncaring; but the only ones that Christi would allow herself to hear at this stage;

"Look at him; he's not breathing, now look to where he was shot – judging by the blood on the ground; he's lost over four or five pints, Christi – a body can sustain itself so long as the loss of blood doesn't go beyond four pints…Christi; hun, he's gone, and you have to accept that; Jamie allowed himself to be shot down because he wanted to protect you and Seifer and Alex, not because of any concern for himself…so please listen to me when I say; stop before you get killed…please Christi?"

No immediate response came from the instructor's lips, only the noticeable glistening sheen over her grey eyes………Christi sunk to the ground as her knees seemingly gave way beneath her…only for her mother's frame to follow her and arms to close around her…comforting her as tears rolled down her cheeks, the truth setting in as her mother rested her head atop her's………

* * *

"Impossible………"

Angeal made no response to the single word his opponent had spoken upon halting his endless barrage of blows, Sephiroth having finally deduced that what he had been told had not been a mere lie; fabricated in an attempt to derail him further. It was another couple of relatively silent seconds before Angeal spoke once more;

"No; it is possible, and has been done – no amount of refusing or questioning will ever succeed in changing what has transpired………but you did know your actions today – look at her Sephiroth! All of this is your fault – _**all of it**_!"

* * *

"Am I dead?"

Jamie allowed his luminescent irises to scan the expanse of space that surrounded him…the youth started slightly upon the female voice once again echoing throughout the vacuum of time and space, despite the fact that his eyes hadn't glimpsed any form on another being standing near-by;

"Almost, your physical form has met its' limits, but your will remains undeniably strong………I have summoned you soul here for reasons I must yet reveal, but there is logic behind those reasons………"

The teenager turned once more to find himself staring at a figure of a female, bearing golden armour, of which seemed to gleam in contrast to the darkness that surrounded them both. The youthful, in appearance, female smiled towards the youngster, but not a happy one – a smile laced with utmost regret and sorrow, her eyes mirroring what her smile belied………Jamie found himself talking without even granting his mouth the permission to do so, his eyes remained trained to the awe-inspiring figure before him as words fell from his mouth un-thought about;

"Why are you sad?"

"I am not sad, I am sorry. I tried to help you Jamie, but you would not allow me to do so, you chose a different road than what destiny had laid out of you, and so; have arrived at a premature ending – it causes me great sorrow to bear witness to such a happening………"

"_**Seifer!**_"

Jamie snapped his head around and found himself to be witnessing the sight of his mother running towards his father, whilst the SeeD struggled to reclaim his footing…Seifer looked worse of wear, that was blatantly obvious to see; the blonde's shoulder and arm glistened with a deep crimson-hued liquid – but what hit the youth hardest wasn't the sight of his mother supporting his father, nor was it the tears that streaked her face - but the aching etched deep in each of their eyes…the teenager passively followed their broken gazes, causing a pang of guilt to hit him hard into the chest upon seeing his own unresponsive frame – and the little girl who stared at it with a look of confusion and fear;

"Mommy, Daddy – what's wrong with Jamie? Why won't he wake up?"

That was more than enough for Jamie to bear witness to – the seventeen-year-old hastily averted his gaze upon hearing his little sister, that was one thing he certainly couldn't handle………but the young child's bitterly innocent querying went on, picking up an air of uncertainty and uneasiness as tears rolled down her mother's face once more………

* * *

"Rika………"

Rika turned, from her surveying of the chaos her will and actions had succeeded in obtaining, to find herself glaring into ice-cold jade irises, and despite the fact of the Harbinger inhabiting her; a single thought – no; a single _**recollection**_ replayed itself within her own memory – the scene of what had happened that night all those years ago in Nibelheim………

"You bastard!"

It was all the ex-General could do just to parry her blow in time – the ferocity of which caught him off guard. But there was no time to ponder such things as the Sol Blade grinded forcefully against his Masamune once more…more and more hatred-fuelled blows continued to rain down – falling faster and unbelievably heavy, and all of which thirsted for the taste of the once-upon-a-time hero's blood.

"You…tried…to…kill…me!"

Each word was growled through painfully gritted teeth as each was emphasized with another bone-shattering clash between the two differing blades…setting arms aching and joints jarring from the sheer force of her blows………

"Everything we had – you threw away! You threw it back in my face – you bastard!"

Sephiroth acted quickly upon the evident oncoming swipe – the ex-SOLDIER hastily side-stepped as the Sol Blade followed its' wielder's line of direction – successfully dodging the blur of silvery/violet that gave away the Sol Blade's location within the battle. It took only mere seconds for the imposingly tall male to see his opening and take it – catching his ex-lover's wrist tightly, so as to prevent the use of the lethal blade she wielded for the time being………Rika struggled against his unwavering grip, but was resigned to halt her squirming and forced to meet his gaze once more;

"I hate you………you took everything from me…everything Sephiroth………"

Sephiroth allowed a moment or two to pass as he kept his gaze fixed onto hers, silently trying to figure out why his intended actions were suddenly conflicting and halting him from doing anything…after what seemed like an eternity; the ex-General took a breath to speak………But whatever her old flame had intended on saying was cut short as something changed within Rika's enthralling amethyst irises – within the space of a split second; the recognition and hurt that had been all too prominent in the windows to her soul were wiped clear – replaced by a mixture of disgust and hatred………

"A failure – just like the rest!"

* * *

"This is all my fault – everyone who's hurt is hurt coz of me!"

Jamie snapped his head away from the newest scene of Rika's atrociousness…he didn't want to see anymore – he felt guilty enough as the matter stood………but Minerva did not halt at the youth's uneasiness;

"Yes, it is – I will not deny that fact, nor will I be untruthful for your sake. But now you understand the complications that the path you chose has caused…"

Jamie shuddered a deep breath as he looked up to Minerva – the teenager knew his choice had not been totally of his own volition, considering the fact that he'd been forcefully restrained to the table in order for Hojo to have his fun – but Jamie _**had**_ been the one to consider the path laid out for him by his_** loving**_ granduncles………

"I'm through – I know that…but………"

"But?"

Minerva kept her gaze rested upon the frame of the teenager before her, a bare hint of a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she queried the youth's last word. Jamie lowered his head so as his eyes looked to where the ground should have been, but simply settled to stare at the space below his feet, speaking quietly as he did so;

"My family and friends – they don't deserve this; they don't deserve to be hurt because of my choices…please; I'll do anything – just don't let them suffer coz of me!"

* * *

"Alex – get little Alex away from him before she gets hurt…I have to stop her-"

Alex turned as his voice seemingly materialized out of nowhere – he had always had a knack of sneaking up on her, a talent that seriously freaked the half-Wutain out big time – and pissed her off greatly!

"Don't do that! It freaks me out Genesis! And don't do anything stupid SOLDIER-boy – I swear to Minerva; if you get hurt, I'll hurt you worse! Bear that in mind Rhapsodos, I'm warning you here – be careful! _**Please**_?"

Genesis allowed a small smirk to appear upon his lips as Alex looked to him with pleading slate-hued irises…it was like she had never been gone at all – and he was so grateful at that moment in time for her concern and warnings; too long had the SOLDIER been forced to remember such things – this was real; and he still needed time to welcome it properly…but any reunions would be forced to wait until the war was raged and done – too much still hung in the balance for now;

"You know me Alex………"

Alex smiled slightly as several black feathers slowly floated down through the air around her – signalling that her husband had already entered the fight she wished he wouldn't have…but it was too late to stop him now; all she could do was whisper quietly to herself as she turned her sights onto the small child who looked totally and utterly lost amidst the battle that was still raging;

"Yeah – and that's exactly why I'm worried – don't do anything stupid Genesis………"

* * *

"_**Ughh**_………"

Uncaring, feline-like, jade irises widened as the unfamiliar sensation of cold metal intruding upon the privacy of his own flesh and blood was felt – closely followed by the harrowing stab of the cold air as her blade was withdrawn………the only sound that he registered in his confusion; was the clattering of his own Masamune striking the hard concrete below his feet as his grip faltered…then the ground seemingly rushed up to meet his knees as agony ripped through him………Sephiroth hadn't even seen her Sol Blade until it had been too late – and now the once-upon-a-time hero was paying the price for that matter with his own blood; it seemed her blade no longer thirsted for the taste of his blood as it seemingly spat it back down onto the ground below its' point, leaving a trail of miniscule dots in its' wake as its' wielder approached once more…Sephiroth looked up as she came to a halt only mere feet from his wide-open form, the smallest of smirks playing on his lips as he spoke, one hand held firmly to his torso, but despite its' attempts; the life-sustaining liquid still seeped out through his finger tips and rolled down over his gloved hand………

"It…appears…that I am…not the…only…monster here…Rika………"

"Shut up!"

Rika eyed the formidable ex-SOLDIER, what she saw was pathetic – and he had almost brought Gaia to its' knees previously; he was nothing but a useless pawn in her game – always had been; and always would remain so!

"You amount to nothing! You're nothing more than a simple and mindless pawn…a puppet at best! But now it's time to cut the strings – permanently!"

Even before the last syllable of her words had been uttered, her Sol Blade had already begun its' forceful descent – but Rika was, once more, forced to frown in annoyance and anger as the rippling sensation of contact made its' way up the length of her arms, signalling the fact that yet another blade had crossed hers………

* * *

"Aj – the rest?"

Aj turned rapidly as her ears registered the voice of her father, and was forced to back track a pace or two as she almost collided with her father's chest. Cloud ran his shimmering gaze the length of his daughter's frame hastily as she righted herself, his eyes searching for any injuries that she may have sustained – and for any half-decent reason to order her to the infirmary and remove her from the battlefield – to his dismay though; Aj seemed relatively unscathed, bar maybe a scratch here and a bruise there………Aj grinned as she looked back to her father, knowing what he had meant in those few words;

"Elmyra's in the infirmary – so's Shalua, Charlie's with some of the Turks; I think he's with Cissnei's group, Mike's with Cid, Mom's over that way with Barret and Denzel, Marlene's giving Shalua a hand, Jenny's with her Mom – I lost track of Vincent about ten minutes ago, Shera's with Selphie, Squall, Irvin and Zell just finished off a heap of those Shadow Creepers and Guard Hounds – haven't seen them since, Christi's helping Seifer – Dad; he's hurt bad, but won't go to the infirmary…there's this woman holding Alex; and I've never seen her before………and you're here Dad!"

Cloud smiled despite the chaotic scene that surrounded them all – it seemed Aj's unusual ability of having her eyes on everyone all at once did come in handy…it was humorous when considered; Denzel had a knack of talking his way out of any situation, Marlene had a knack of comprehending unsaid emotions and problems, and Aj had a knack of keeping tags on _**everyone**_ at once!

* * *

"Genesis………"

Sephiroth allowed the name to fall from his lips in nothing more than a whisper as his irises fell upon the red-coated SOLDIER who had halted her blade in just enough time………Genesis glimpsed back over his shoulder as he spoke quickly, not willing to keep his attention from Rika for even the smallest of gaps as she would surely act upon his negligence;

"This changes nothing between us Sephiroth – you have torn my family apart tonight, and I am never going to forgive you for hurting them!"

And with that last word; the SOLDIER was gone – following his opponent up into the inky shy above as she sided with the choice of an airborne battle………Sephiroth allowed his eyes to glimpse around the battlefield – his Reunion was over, and he knew that. Already; he could sense the pull of the Lifestream tugging at his being, calling him back to its' peaceful flow…but at least, this time; he knew the truth – he had been a puppet since day one; Mother herself had uttered that truth and had dealt him the blow that now sucked all the strength and will from his being………but the strange thing was; he didn't fight digression this time around – he welcomed it; for too long had he torn families apart – even destroyed and killed his own chance at happiness, his own chance at a family………that was the one thing that refused to stop its' dreaded repeating within his mind;

"_- accept it! You killed yours and Rika's child!"_

And now, as his jade irises glimpsed the havoc that his actions had, yet again, caused – something caught the corner of his eye………

* * *

Jamie kept his gaze locked into the armoured figure before him, nothing but pleading evident in both his eyes and his voice. He had meant every word he'd said to her – nobody deserved to suffer because of him! He had chosen Jenova, so _**he**_ deserved to suffer, him alone! What seemed like an utter eternity seemed to pass as Minerva met the teenager's gaze and held it – silently searching his luminescent blue irises; searching his very being for corruptness that may have been triggered within him by Heaven's Dark Harbinger – but none were present.

"I cannot save you Jamie, and for that; I am truly regretful………but I understand that you have been placed here because you were willing to end your own young life in order to halt the Calamity – therefore; I can help you save those whom you hold close to your heart, but only if you are willing to do so?"

It took little less than a millisecond for the seventeen-year-old to answer the great Goddesses query, and he meant it – if he had a choice to save all he loved from harm; then he was willing to do it no matter what befell him;

"Of course I am – what've I to do?!"

Minerva shook her slightly as a small smile, one of genuine admiration, graced her elegant lips – this was make or break; for a the living world, the planet itself and those who inhabited the Lifestream – there were only two remaining individuals who possessed the Cetra bloodline on the face of the planet…it took almost every single Ancient to bring down Jenova the first time around, two this time wasn't enough; they would simply appear as lambs to the slaughter………Jamie was the only one capable of being victorious this late on in the game;

"Fight her………but know all first; I have already informed your physical body has met its' limitations, but yet your will still remains one of extreme strength and determination. My power shall only be capable of sustaining you physical form so long as you fight her, but when the end arrives; be it yours or hers, you will be brought to the Promised Land…I have no control over that matter – do you still comply?"

No immediate verbal response came from the teenager's mouth, just an adamant nod of his hazel-haired head – he was going to die, and sure; he didn't want to, but at least his family and friends wouldn't – and that's all that mattered now, that was enough to fight for in his eyes; one life for hundreds if not millions…it was a more than reasonable sacrifice………

"I do………"

* * *

_**A/N; Shifty eyes - guesses to what happens next huns?**_


	23. For Their Sakes

_**A/N; I love broadband huns! Anyhu; back to the point - only a few chapters left in this fic hunnies - major shout outs go to Angel Crisis Eos and Bmangaka! Thanks for your support huns!**_

* * *

"You just don't know when to stop! Do you Genesis!?"

Genesis eyed the blur of violet/silver that hastily made a path towards his own form, ignoring the stinging nicks and grazes that adorned his form, all caused during his parrying and blocking – those were the prices of protecting what was left of his family – everything he had fought so hard to keep safe and together; was now rent in tatters – ripped at the very seams that had held it all together…………and it was all his fault! He'd passed on the degenerative gene to his grandson – it had been his DNA that had inextricably bound the teenager to a death sentence…he'd failed; again…………it had taken Genesis Rhapsodos fifteen years to find something to fight for, and it had been his daughter – and from single spark; a strong flame had kindled – but now that that flame was flickering out once more.

"I know exactly where to stop Rika – but I cannot stop there now; I have to fight, not for my sake – but for my family's!"

Rika simply smirked as several black feathers floated sown around her, Genesis having gained altitude with a single thrust of his trademark black wing…a quick glance downwards alerted Genesis to the fact that he was now against the main antagonist; the only other remaining adversaries being the DGS troops, Guard Hounds and Shadow Creepers…Sephiroth could no longer be classed as a threat; he'd seen the wound she had inflicted upon the ex-General, and he knew it wouldn't be long until the Lifestream called his being back once more.

"If it's a game of tag you want – then why didn't you just tell me?!"

In the split half a second it took Rika to utter the last word of her sentence – Genesis had lost track of her form; the revered SOLDIER hadn't banked on her agility in the air, truth be told; it hadn't even occurred to him – it seemed rather obvious; but hindsight was a marvellous thing; if only it came before it was already too late.

"Tag – you're it!"

"_**Ahhhh!**_"

Genesis allowed a cry to escape his lips upon being alerted to where Rika had repositioned herself unbeknownst to him; and that location was painfully aware to the SOLDIER as he gritted his teeth whilst shifting his gaze sideways; his eerily glowing irises resting on the silver/violet blade marred by crimson as it impaled him at the right shoulder…Genesis gasped audibly as his once-upon-a-time friend and ally deliberately twisted her blade; successfully snapping several of his tendons as her blade turned its' razor-sharp edges within his shoulder………before he had chance to change hands; Genesis lost his grip on his crimson sword; having been gripping it in his right arm all along……now things were bad; and he knew it – with a blade; Rika was proving hard enough to equal; and now with no blade to parry hers' – he was wide open.

"This is where you should have stopped Genesis!"

She had the upper-hand; no one person could deny that fact; Jenova lived up to every harrowing aspect that accompanied her many aliases; Heaven's Dark Harbinger, The Calamity – all them served her being truth; in a single night; she had succeeded in accumulating numerous murdered bodies, dealt one of the Cetra bloodline a serious injury, torn a family apart, dealt the one person who had regarded her as a Mother a fatal blow – and now; as soon as this fool was out of her way; the last of the Ancients could be dealt with, and then the planet would crumble………

"Time to follow your grandson…."

Genesis bit down hard on his lower lip as her blade was rapidly withdrawn and the cold air shot through his wounded shoulder like a bullet as blood began to seep down his arm; it seemed as if her blade had severed not only tendons; but an artery also………..already being plagued with pain and fatigue; Genesis never saw the blade coming again – only the agonizing fury that ripped at the back of his left shoulder blade told him of its' location………..as a warm sensation flowed down from his site of utmost sickening pain; his frame plummeted sharply……..

"_**Genesis!**_"

Alex screamed out as she caught sight of her husband falling fast and heavy – but despite her almost pleading scream; it didn't halt his descent; only the hard and uncaring ground was capable of that…..and that it did; halting the SOLDIER's rapid loss of altitude painfully as his body hit the concrete with unbelievable force; driving the very breath from his lungs as the sudden stop jarred his senses………..

Alex glimpsed around hastily, upon seeing that little Alex was in the strong and protective arms of her godfather; Raijin – the battle strategist wasted no time in running to her husband's unmoving frame……..

Alex dropped to her knees as her feet came to a stop next to the SOLDIER's body…the female dropped to her knees out of reflex – this was too much for her to bear; she'd told him; _**warned**_ him not to do anything stupid…and he was hurt worse than she'd ever seen him before!

"Genesis….."

The bi-racial Banola native tentivly placed her hand on his back – only to feel his muscles tense in evident pain, causing her to retract her hand…..but what caused the breath to catch in her throat was what was on her hand; deep crimson and sticky – his back was coated in blood; _**his **_blood!

"C'mon SOLDIER – boy….don't give up on me now – I'm tellin you; if you die – I'll kill you! Now; c'mon Genesis!"

"Genesis – you still able to stand yo?"

Reno trailed off upon setting his cerulean gaze upon the female that knelt adjacent to the First Class SOLDIER – he recognised her immediately…he still remembered the havoc she had caused back in ShinRa, especially when it came to annoying the hell out of Scarlet…..but she had been on that airship to Balamb Garden when it had went down – and there had only been one survivor; that person had been Christi…he'd witnessed her funeral for Minerva's sake!

"Alex – how the hell-"

Alex looked up through watery steel-hued irises as she spoke hastily to the Turk;

"Reno – I'll explain later; give me a hand, he's hurt bad, all his back is covered in blood – but I can't find a wound to stem the blood….."

Reno nodded his vivid red-haired head as he sensed the seriousness that the situation called for – sure; most of the time the Turk had his head up in the clouds, but he knew when things called for attention; and he knew that not all his Turk training had gone in one ear and out the other – though he did let on such at times; Reno had been paying attention during those theory lectures and medical courses……though it was sometimes more fun to play dumb!

Between the two of them; Alex and Reno, as carefully as their situation permitted them to be; turned Genesis over and managed to pull the SOLDIER into a sitting-up position – he was in a bad way; there was no denying it, lost, either; in a semi-conscious state, or a world of clouded agony – Genesis found it hard to register much of anything that was happening around him, only gasping and gritting down now and then as agony flared once more………

"Ah – what the fuck?!"

Reno yanked his hand back as something sharp made contact with the tender flesh of his palm…then turned his confused gaze to Alex….Alex furrowed her ebony eyebrows as she gently ran her hand up the back of her husband's back, underneath the confines of his trademark crimson jacket…….her hand froze as it met something hard and pointy…as soon as her hand had made contact with the mystery object; Genesis arched his back in an attempt to escape the pain that her touch had caused…….in that instant; it clicked within the confines of Alex's head what injury had been inflicted upon her husband in order to render him in such agony……

"She didn't……."

Reno just watched on in utter confusion as Alex removed Genesis' coat, and then the top of his SOLDIER uniform…

"Alex – do not…"

Alex froze as her hand wavered over the main source of pain and blood upon her husband's form, and it was his words that had halted her……….no wonder he had fallen like he had; there had been nothing left to support his weight in the night's sky – she had hacked it off; leaving only splinters of bone jutting out amidst the deep-red blood that spread down his back from the wound, of which had been created as his ebony-feathered wing had been savagely separated from his left shoulder blade……….

"C'mon yo – you seriously need a medical team…….you lose much more blood and you're goin to be pushin up daisies…"

Genesis bit back hard on the pain as Reno shouldered most of his weight, the SOLDIER seriously couldn't remember the last time he'd felt such pain…….even the last bout the JXG had acted out upon his body seemed to either pale in comparison or pretty much draw even with what he was feeling at that moment in time…….

* * *

"You bitch!"

Rika turned upon hearing another female's voice utter the hate filled comment – of which was evidently directed at her…the Calamity smirked darkly upon her amethyst irises meeting with slate grey ones……

"Come again?"

Alex kept her gaze deadlocked onto the one person she would never have thought would ever prove to be an enemy – she'd known Rika when she'd worked in ShinRa; the two had been firm and close friends….but this wasn't the Rika she had formed that unwavering friendship with – this was a monster in her friend's form; nothing more!

"You bitch – you cold-hearted little whore!"

That was enough for a death-warrant in her eyes; Rika Hewley frowned upon registering the last of the woman's words; then hastily swung her blade around – determined to land this blow as she had finally removed Genesis from the equation….

* * *

"Mmm………."

Jamie cracked his eerily glowing blue irises open as the sense of falling came to a halt – he knew what he had to do………the teenager groggily pulled himself to his knees and hands as he glimpsed around in search of weapon; having totally lost track of where his own Katana had landed amidst the battle…..but; it didn't take the seventeen-year-old long to catch sight of another blade lying near-by…or register the fact that Rika was preparing to deal another blow to his family………Jamie wasted no time in racing forwards; closing his hand around the hilt of the crimson blade that had lay in rubble before him and launching himself into a skid along the ground…….

"_**Wu-uh!"**_

Rika allowed the shout to escape her lips out of utter surprise and shock as her two feet were whipped out from under her…Jamie looked up as the Calamity quickly started to regain her footing; his speech directed to the shocked looking Alex Yamamoto…..

"I know who you are – so run; **_please?!"_**

"Why you persistent little bastard!"

Rika eyed the teenager venomously as she righted herself once more…..a look of slight confusion present in her irises; she had witnessed the youth's demise – well; she'd thought she had………….Jamie smirked as he stood opposite Jenova, his grandfather's blade firmly in his grasps……….then he lowered it and looked upwards……..

Sephiroth blinked several times upon his jade irises taking in the form of the Goddess standing behind the very teenager he had seen shot down…..it wasn't possible; and yet it was happening…..

"You know the implications to agreeing to the terms Jamie and you have agreed to them – I thank you."

Rika shot her gaze sideways as Minerva's voice echoed out through the still night's air, this wasn't meant to happen; the Goddess wasn't supposed to make her presence known for the sake of these petty humans – but then; why had she? Had the great Goddess of planet Gaia; Minerva bestowed her last shard of hope within a seventeen-year-old; a mere child?

* * *

_**A/N; Credit where credit is due huns - the idea for Genesis injury belongs to Angel Crisis Eos; who is (if you don't already know by now) a fellow writer on this site, an amazing friend of mine, one that met through this very site itself, and the writer of "Pearls of Light" - a story of hers I just finished reading and I seriously suggest you read it huns; it's so amazing - especially the last chapter or two; it'll have you in tears - it had me crying...it's just so heart-wrenching!!!!**_


	24. The Begining Of The End

_**A/N; Here's twenty-four huns!**_

* * *

"I thought I had dealt with you?!"

Jamie merely allowed a smirk to cross his features as his glowing blue gaze remained trained to Rika as she launched herself up into the night sky once more…the teenager took a shaky breath before summoning his own wing; knowing that once he went after her; there was no returning – it hurt him in his heart; to know that he was doomed no matter whose favour the battle ended in….he'd never get to go on that date with San after all…he'd never get to meet his grandmother properly….never get to see his little sister grow up – so if he only had a short time left; then Jamie Almasy was going to make sure that he did everything that was within his so as he didn't go down alone!

"So_** now**_ you wanna play tag – huh? Fine – but that's _**my**_ element Rika! Ask anyone!"

"Jamie – don't go!"

Jamie halted just as he was about to take flight, in order to follow his adversary – but it wasn't the little voice that shouted to him that caused the youth to halt; but the sensation of something colliding with his left leg…..the teenager looked down slowly, an air of confusion and shock evident upon his face as his eerily glowing irises rested upon the source of why he hadn't taken flight yet; a young child was clamped tightly to his leg – refusing to let go as she cried into his thigh……..Jamie smiled lightly as he placed his free hand upon his little sister's blonde head;

"Alex – go back to Mom and Dad…."

The four-year-old didn't even look up as she shook her head and spoke, her young voice laced with the telltale thickness that accompanied tears;

"I'm not gonna let you go….."

Jamie swallowed back hard on the painful lump that was forming in his throat…this was harder than he had thought it would be……but he had to; for her sake too! What life would his little sis have if she grew up in a world ruled by the Calamity – if she lived that was; if Jenova would permit his family to live if he was to fail…..

"Alex please –"

"No!"

Jamie looked around quickly as his temper began to rise slightly – Rika was fighting _**him**_; if she saw the child with him, then it would only serve to draw her quicker….he couldn't risk waiting much longer;

"Why not?!"

"Coz I know you won't come back again Jamie………"

What little anger that had grown within the teenager seemingly evaporated as he heard his little sister's words…a dropping sensation in his chest caused the youth swallow once more past the painful lump in his throat…but swallowing didn't do anything to help the agony in his heart…if anything; it only made it worse than before…

"Alex…please; if you stay here, you're gonna get hurt – and it's gonna be my fault………I know I haven't spent time with you in ages, well; not like we used to before all this fucking shit happened – but I'm tryin to make things better now; so bear with me, okay hun?"

"Awww – saying your good-byes; I do believe that is the smartest thing you've done all night Jamie!"

_Shit………_

Jamie froze as he looked up, confirming, without a shadow of a doubt, who had actually spoken….and he wasn't in any position to take her on with a four-year-old still clinging tightly to his leg…..after another second or two of mental debating; the teenager reached a decision on what needed to be dealt with first – he hastily slid his grandfather's blade through his belt; serving as a make-do holster – and then ducked as Rika sent a blast his way……..

"Alex; do as I say – and quick; remember how I used to fly with you; well this is gonna be kinda the same except a lot higher and a lot faster; so hold on, kay?"

"Kay…"

Jamie wasted no time in reclaiming his footing and swinging his little sister around into a piggy-back………then it all moved skywards as the teenager opted for an airborne, so called, game of tag……..it was a well known fact in Balamb Garden that Jamie was above them all when it came to swordsmanship – but equal, if not lower, when it came to firearms and combat – but the youth had never have had to worry about those aspects as his skills whilst airborne rivalled anyone's – even his grandfather and Angeal's………and now it was time to test that knowledge.

"Just hold on tight Alex…"

Alex did as her big brother had instructed and tightened her grip around his neck…he hadn't been joking when he'd mentioned the fact of speed………

"Stop running and fight!"

Jamie smirked as he looked back over his shoulder as Rika shouted her demand at him; this was about as much fun the teenager had had since leaving Balamb Garden all those weeks ago – before everything had snowballed down hill………

"I'm not running – I'm flying you thick-fuck! And you're the one who wanted to play tag – not me! So come on old-timer…try and keep up!"

"Jamie – look out!"

Jamie snapped his head back around from his taunting as Alex spoke in his hear – the teenager grimaced as he pulled up short just before colliding with Rika…she could move quicker than he had anticipated…but the teenager avoided her blade's sharp edge easily as he tucked in his wing once more and began to plummet towards the ground………

"Like your gonna catch me with that one!"

* * *

"He's gonna hit something…he's gonna hit something…he's gonna hit something, I fucking know he is!"

Christi half hid her face in her hands as she watched her son spread his wing wide and gain altitude once more, successfully evading Rika's striking range…it was all the mother could do but to keep on repeating her worried set of words as she watched on………only when a hand rested upon her shoulder and her husband's voice fell upon her ears did she stop;

"Trust him Christi…we're out of resources and fighters right now; so if Jamie thinks he stop her – then I trust him………"

* * *

Rika frowned as she dodged several Fira blasts…gritting her teeth as the last one came so close as she could still feel it's residual heat upon her cheek………he was stronger than before; that much was certain beyond all doubt – but he was still a kid; and nothing could change that – wisdom and knowing came with years of experience; something that the teenager didn't have.

Jamie groaned in annoyance as he sensed the gap closing between him and his adversary – maybe insulting her hadn't been the brightest of things to do in the long run…..the closer she got – the more uneasy the teenager became; not for his own safety; but for his little sister's….

"Hold tight Alex!"

The little girl did as instructed; and just in time as Jamie spun his frame around so as he faced Rika head on, shielding his little sister once more….but the teenager hadn't expected the female to be so close – he wouldn't have enough time to pull the crimson sword from his belt – that he knew; but he did have time to make sure her blade only hit one of them! Jamie hastily shot his hands to around his neck and tugged hard on his little sister's hands – successfully disengaging the little girl from his back, allowing her to fall as an agonizing pain hit his left shoulder…it was all the teen could do not to cry out – he didn't have time to – the seventeen-year-old kicked out hard with his leg; driving the female that held the blade within his shoulder backwards – bringing her blade with her……..and then his attention turned to the falling four-year-old………Jamie shot down at a very un-encouraging angle as he raced to reach the child before she reached the ground………

"Gotcha!"

Jamie pulled up sharply as he held his little sister tightly in his arms – only for a blast of energy to strike the youth hard into the back………

* * *

"What _**fucking**_ part of; _don't do anything stupid_, don't you _**fucking **_understand Rhapsodos?! Tell me and I'll god-damn explain it to you – coz you sure as hell did the opposite of what I told you!"

Genesis grimaced as Alex went on tearing strips off of him…never mind the fact of the injury he had now sustained; sympathy was one thing he certainly wouldn't get from that woman!

"Are you even fucking listening?!"

Genesis met her gaze as he spoke impassively, not only was he still in more pain than he had ever been before – he was getting a migraine from her bollicking;

"If I say yes; will you stop shouting Alex?"

"No I fucking won't – are you brain-dead in there or what?!"

Seifer smirked as he looked back to his father in-law, he could relate; Christi had certainly inherited her mother's vocabulary to a tee…and he had learnt to make use of an amazing thing called; passive listening, when she went into a bollicking mood – simply nod your head every few minutes, shake once in between and look sorry….it usually worked for him anyhow! Genesis merely looked to the blonde as Alex continued to rant away;

"If I had my wing; this would be where I would take my leave – _**Fuck off Alex; that fucking hurts!"**_

Numerous heads snapped around as all bore witness to the revered SOLDIER swearing in a way that was so unlike his usually professional and collected demeanour – only Angeal smirked; his mind reeling back to their childhood years in Banola and the years they had spent working in Midgar; it had always been rare for Genesis to lose the head at anyone, you were usually more likely to bear witness to a blue moon than a pissed off Genesis Rhapsodos – but occasionally the SOLDIER had lost his temper, more so in their younger years…and almost every single time he was heard to be swearing and cursing; Alex had been near-by….a feat that the female had usually taken great pride in!

But it hadn't been the string of curses that left the female's mouth that had caused the SOLDIER to lose his temper – it had been the fact that, upon she realising that her husband had been no longer listening to her rants; Alex had slapped him into his right shoulder, causing pain to emanate from the stab wound that marred his arm………

"Don't curse at me Rhapsodos – that's woeful language altogether! What's everyone gonna think now; Genesis Rhapsodos cursing and shouting at people for no apparent reason….shame on you Rhapsodos!"

"Alex – I mean this in the most loving way possible here; you – are – doing – my – goddamn – head – in!"

* * *

"_**Ahhh!"**_

Jamie gasped as his shoulder took most of the brunt of the impact…and as he skidded along the pavement until his body came to a halt upon colliding with a wall – but it had been him to take the impact and not his little sister, whom he still held tightly in his arms, shielding her from the impact………

* * *

_**A/N; As usual; your' opinions are greatly welcomed huns!**_


	25. The End

**_A/N: See - I told you Angel! I have it up!!!LOL!!!! - Sorry about the delay huns - I spent all my maths classes this week writing this chapter - then I had to type it all up - then post it; which I just about had done last night when my cousin collared me to babysit for her - and I ended up only uploading the document - but now it's posted at long last!!!!_**

* * *

Jamie groaned as he forced himself back to his two feet, all too aware of the deep and angry graze that now adorned the top of his left shoulder, having been earned upon his collision with the ground.

"Jamie!"

The youth glanced up upon registering the owner of the female voice that had called his name…his luminescent irises found the figure of his godmother…it took the seventeen-year-old little less than a split second to see his chance to ensure the safety of his little sister, and, needless to say, he took it;

"Selphie – do me a favour; take Alex and get back to the rest – don't intervene; this is how it has to be………"

The emerald-eyed SeeD did as her godson had said, taking the young and frightened child from the protecting arms of her big brother, Selphie remained silent for a few seconds as her eyes wandered over the frame of the teenager……….after what seemed like and eternity; she locked gazes with the youngster and spoke the only words that she found capable of managing at that moment in time;

"How's this happening – I don't understand!"

Jamie merely shrugged as he turned away from the woman, gripping his grandfather's crimson blade tightly once more as he did so, pausing only to glance over his shoulder and smile in the direction of the only family he had ever known; AVALANCHE, SOLDIER, ShinRa and Balamb Garden – talk about a family of misfits!

"To be honest Selphie; I don't understand either, but when has that ever mattered before?"

* * *

"Playtime's over Rika!"

Rika merely smirked as a blast of Fira narrowly missed its' intended target once more and locked her amethyst irises onto the youth as she directed her power over J-Cells towards the youth………almost immediately; the teenager rose up about a foot from the ground; his airway tightening sharply as his air supply was cut off – she was controlling the Jenova cells in his body – _**her**_ cells; he was being strangled by his own DNA………but despite the predicament that the youth was in; a smirk appeared upon his face as he spoke;

"Was does my DNA always want to kill me lately – first I inherit grandpa's degenerative gene; and now this…"

Rika frowned slightly upon noticing a change in the intensity at which the youth's irises glowed at, and noticing another power level increase………and then her hold on the youth was broken; but now by her will, he'd redirected his own cells – but in order for that to happen; he'd of had to bear some control over her power………_just like his mother!_

Jamie smirked all the more as he realised that she had finally put two and two together, he'd always been able to hold some control over her power, as far back as he could remember it had been that way…he had just never enlightened anyone to it; the teenager had heard many tales of the battle that had been fought previous to his birth, and all of the events that had transpired in those few months…more so; when Jenova had fought to take his mother in Midgar…and that had been why he had never shared that detail with his family; if they'd have figured it out – he would have most probably have been sent to Edge to be trained by Angeal or his grandfather so as he knew how to control it properly……….but he didn't want that; he had never wanted to be in SOLDIER, his mother and father were SeeDs – his family at Balamb were all SeeDs…and that had been all he had ever wanted to be – but now look; he'd never even get to take part in the field exam, not even once……..

"This better count for my field exam Squall!"

Despite all that was happening; Squall stole a small smile upon hearing his godson's smart comment…but the smile only lasted fleetingly as the headmaster realised what needed to be done;

"All SeeDs and SeeD candidates move back to the school – Balamb Garden retreat immediately!"

Countless individuals turned and acted upon their headmaster's order. Squall watched on as those beneath his authority rapidly returned to the confines of Balamb Garden, their jobs were done; there was nothing more anyone could do now but watch on…and pray against the ending that they were all too aware of approaching………

"Dad – there has to be something we can do?! Anything………" 

Christi looked from both; her father to her godfather – an almost pleading look present in her irises – there was no way that all they could do was stand back and watch on as everything rode on this fight – by right; they should have all been trying their best to help Jamie – not just stand by on the sidelines twiddling their thumps like idiots! But, to her dismay and sorrow; both SOLDIERs shook their respective heads – there was nothing they could do, and they knew that now………the sight of Minerva, whom had since then returned to wherever it was that she dwelt, had made that fact known to them; she had condoned the battle that now waged between the teenager and the ex-SOLDIER – they had no right to intervene or go against the wishes of the Goddess – there was surely logic in her decision; even if they found it hard to see at that moment in time………

* * *

_**"Ahhh……"**_

Jamie bit down hard on the inside of his cheeks, stifling a cry of pain as he pulled himself from amongst rubble…staggering slightly as agony ripped up through him…the teenager glanced down to the left hand side of his abdomen; the side that the pain seemed to emanating from; only to reveal a particularly large shard of glass embedded in his lower torso…it was all the youngster could do not to cry out as he tentively gripped the edge of the razor-sharp shard…Jamie hastily yanked out – removing the offensive object as he did so; earning a gasp as pain seared through his wounded abdominal area, and causing the youth to crash painfully to one knee as he tried to catch his breath and blood trickled down his waist; having escaped his body via the deep gash that had been gouged out by the glass.

Rika eyed the teenager as he crashed to one knee – he had put up a good fight; she would not deny him that fact; and was fair fighter; probably one of the worthiest that she had faced that night………but, now at long last; the end had finally arrived;

"You've annoyed me, insulted me, and have tried my patience to its' limits – I _**will **_be the victor of this fight – I _**will**_ have my way with this planet…so why even continue to fight on?"

Jamie narrowed his glowing irises as he, once again, forced himself back to his two feet, grinding his teeth together with extreme force in a bid to ignore his blantently obvious injury. The youth glance around as he stood – he was hurt, tired, just about ready to keel over – but he couldn't; too much depended on him…his family, his friends – the planet itself………he couldn't give in…no matter how much he wanted to, this wasn't about him – it was about everyone else.

"Coz I made a decision – and I won't go back on it!"

Rika brought her Sol blade up in plenty of time to parry the youth's anger-fuelled blow, steeling a smirk as she spread her wings wide, causing several white feathers to float aimlessly to the ground below…Jamie smirked lightly also as he summoned his own wing, causing contrasting ebony feathers to follow the same path that her white ones had only mere seconds earlier.

* * *

"Take cover…"

Genesis looked to his friend as he turned and walked away from the small group, despite the words he had just directed towards them. Genesis blinked in slight confusion; Angeal had just told them to take cover – but then why was he the one disregarding his own words and walking away from the rest of them?

"Angeal?"

Angeal turned as he continued to walk backwards, a look of sorrow suddenly present in his mako-shimmering eyes…he shrugged ever so slightly as his wing spread wide;

"I still have a promise to keep – they're going to send blasts towards each other; take cover or get inside………"

Angeal made to say nothing more as he left the ground. Genesis, on the other hand, didn't react so well as several others; the SOLDIER made to step forward as his eyes shot wide;

"Angeal! Wait –_** ahhh**_!"

Alex grabbed her husband as he fell forwards, Cloud, being one of the closest at the time; hastily grasped one of Genesis' free arms, helping the petite female to support the SOLDIER as pain caught him off guard………

* * *

"Worthless human!"

Jamie rapidly brought his fee hand up – mirroring the older female's actions and, as a result; both served to send a blast of formidable energy racing towards their respective adversaries……….a savage wind ripped through the area as both blast clashed mid-way between the two, each one fighting for superiority above the other. Jamie gritted his teeth as he tired his utmost to keep up his side of the fight…how come he cold fight for control when Rika couldn't – or was it that she wouldn't?

"Rika! C'mon – I know you're in there somewhere…fight her for fuck sake! What about your friends –_** fuck it Rika; what about your brother?!**_ What about Angeal – are you gonna kill him too?!"

No verbal response met the teenager, despite the personal accusations he had demanded of the ex-SOLDIER, no recognition shone within the eternal depths of her amethyst irises – just pure ferociety – the intensity of which bore a striking similarity to the way in which a predator surveys his prey just prior to pouncing…cold…calculating…disgust – it didn't take long fore the predator to pounce in this case………Jamie felt his stomach lurch as Rika disappeared from the spot where she had been holding up her side of the battle……….

"Jamie – _**turn!"**_

The youth hastily did as Angeal's voice had ordered and immediately located his adversary………Jamie brought up his grandfather's blade just as Rika poised her Sol Blade – both winged individuals succeeded in hitting their intended target……….Rika bit back against a hiss of both; surprise and pain as the youth's blade tore through her left shoulder – but it was a relatively simple wound to deal with in the long run – a few damaged tendons; that would probably be the worst outcome of the wound the teenager had dealt her – not like the one she had just inflicted upon the teenager; her Sol Blade had penetrated his chest cavity……….

Sephiroth watched on as the youth he knew as nothing more than Genesis Rhapsodos' grandson hit the ground hard; the teenager had fought a good fight; even the once-upon-a-time General had to admit that – if they had been living in a different time; the youth would have been allocated a SOLDIER application already; but that was a whole lifetime ago now……….it truly puzzled the ex-General as to why everything that had happened in the past had been allowed to transpire; his decent into madness that night in Nibelheim, his defeat and return; if it had all been destined to end in this way – then why all the events of the past? Why grand false hope to both sides of the eternal battle? But it mattered no more; Sephiroth had finally been granted his wish; Mother had returned……….and he finally saw her for what she truly was; a heartless monster!

Rika landed a few metres from the youth, a satisfied look upon her face as she realised the seventeen-year-old could hardly breath, her blade had most probably served to puncture on of his lungs……….she watched on in slight amusement as Jamie tried to regain his stance – not yet willing to hive up, but the injury she had dealt him was severed in the very least; nicked arteries were already causing heavy internal bleeding…and so the youth tried one of the only things he could manage; he raised a hand towards the female……….

"You insolent worthless human!"

Rika glowered at the youth with annoyance and hatred as a Fira blast skint the top of her shoulder; a kick to the gut ensured the cooperation of the teenager as agony blinded Jamie's senses……….the ex-SOLDIER swung her blade high above her head in preparation of delivering the final blow – but her blade never fulfilled its' wielder's intent……….Angeal had acted quickly upon seeing that his sister, upon bringing her blade up high, had left her guard wide open……….

Rika blinked several times as confusion clouded her distorted thoughts…pain soon accompanied the jolt that had intruded upon the flesh of her torso, the ex-SOLDIER brought her shimmering Mako-amethyst irises up to lock with Mako-blue ones as her blade clashed noisily to the rain soaked ground………

"Forgive me Rika……….."

Recognition and caring flickered back to life within her eyes as Rika brought her hand up to touch her brother's cheek, whispering to him as he withdrew his Katana;

"For what Angeal…keeping your promise? Thank-you…"

Angeal watched on as his little sister's form fell backwards, it seemed the end had arrived – and it was breaking his heart; she was his little sister – her was supposed to protect her; not hurt her……….

Rika looked up as strong arms caught her frame; her irises met jade ones as a smile graced her lips…despite the fatal wound she had inflicted upon the man; he had still clung on…and it was only then that both realized why they had fallen for each other all those years ago…Rika smiled as a tear rolled back over her cheek; merging with her rain soaked chocolate-hued tresses; she now knew how hard it was to battle something that was in your very genetic code; how Jamie had managed it; none would ever know – but she now knew that it hadn't been Sephiroth's wishes to kill her that night; Jenova had taken hold of him; and she almost impossible to wage a war against………

"I'm sorry – I understand now……….the blame was never yours' to take, can you forgive me?"

Sephiroth nodded his head of silver tresses, this was what he had clung on for; a chance to hold her again, but not under these circumstances…never under these circumstances………

"Of course I can Rika, I love you – forgive me for what has happened tonight………."

Rika smiled as her gaze met his, and then her eyes closed, never to open again in that lifetime………Sephiroth shook the female's form gently as she lay in his arms; swallowing back hard against an unfamiliar lump that had formed in his throat;

"Rika………."

The ex-General shook his past lover's form once more; willing her enthralling amethyst irises to open once more; but they didn't comply to his wishes; Sephiroth glanced up to Angeal as her frame remained unresponsive……….Angeal merely shook his head as he blinked in an attempt to clear his blurring vision; of which only served to cause two tears to race down his cheeks – he'd just ended his sister's life.

The wound that drained the last of his strength was nothing in comparison to the agonizing throbbing sensation that was now present in his chest area' he had had everything – a lover who had loved him for him; not his rank in SOLDIER – just him………he'd even been granted the opportunity of having a real family – even the chance at fatherhood…and he'd chosen to throw it all away in the end! It was his fault that the only female he had ever loved truly, was now being drawn back to the Lifestream……….a single tear rolled hastily down his cheek as Sephiroth finally stopped clinging onto the life that he no longer wished to live.

_**"Jamie!"**_

Angeal looked around quickly as the last of his beloved half-sister and her lover digressed into the Lifestream – only for his irises to fall upon the sight of Christi pulling her son into her arms as Seifer and her finally located their teenage son………

* * *

"Angeal?"

Angeal merely shook his head upon registering Genesis' querying tone and gaze, the black-haired senior SOLDIER locked gazes with his friend as he spoke through a voice that was stone serious;

"It's over………Rika and Sephiroth – they're gone Genesis…"

Genesis narrowed his eyes as he picked up on the underlying sorrow within his friend's tone;

"Angeal – what about Jamie? Where is he? Squall has ordered for a medical team-"

"Cancel it – I've seen the wound she dealt him; Genesis; there's too much internal bleeding – I am sorry friend."

* * *

Jamie swallowed back hard as his gaze fell upon his mother and father…fighting against the urge to close his eyes and give in – Minerva had not been lying when she had mentioned that his strength would only last until after the end of the battle – and now his body was giving in once more;

"Mom…Dad – I'm sorry…I didn't…meant to, they…lied to me – I'm…sorry………"

Jamie trailed off as a viscious coughing fit took hold – only ending once the metallic taste of blood had filled his mouth and his frame went limp in his mother's arms…Christi smiled against her emotions and the tragic reality that had enveloped the Mercenary school that night - blinking back tears as they tried to force their way down her cheeks – but she couldn't lose face – Squall had called for the medical team – they just needed to get him treated and then everything could be like it was before all this had happened;

"Shush baby – I know you didn't…don't be sorry; none of this was your fault…..

Christi hugged her son tight as tears rebelled against her will and flowed freely down her face…this wasn't happening - it couldn't be happening; he was her baby; what God would have been cruel enough to take him away like tha - only a monster would! The mother hugged her son's form tight as she rocked forwards, sobbing hard as reality and shock sunk in – only to look to her husband and see the tears that streaked his face………their seventeen-year-old son was gone.

* * *

_**A/N; So - reviews huns? Pretty please puppy dog eyes!!LOL!!! Ah sure; thanks even if ye don't!**_

_**Anyhu; about two chapters tops left! And this is gonna be the last update with this story for a week - I'm going on a school trip later tonight to Holland for a week!!!! I'm headin off at half one tonight - so; see ye all huns!!!!!**_

_**XXXXX**_

_**Renolvr:-P**_

_**Psst - Eos; having another Emo moment yet????????**_


	26. Heartache

_**A/N; Hey huns! Sorry for the wait - I didn't know how to end this; so I consulted my friend; Angel Crisis Eos, of which most of ye know at this stage! Anyhu; out of a conversation with her; this chapter emerged; and coz of the happenings in this chapter - the next chapter will not be the conclusion of this fic, thanks again to Angel Crisis Eos for lending my me her idea once more - ie; look to Angeal!**_

* * *

Minerva watched on as Christi cried, desperately clutching the lifeless body of her son to her chest – it puzzled the Goddess as to why humans seemed to have such strong attachments to a being's body when it was the sour that truly defined a being………still though; she understood the pain of the parents sorrow and hurt – it want against the very laws of nature itself for a parent to bear witness to the death of their child……….there was still much sorrow to be unearthed yet though; a lot of damage had been caused by the fight that had been fought, mainly due to the colliding blasts – many were injured, the great Mercenary school was in tatters, families had been brought to their knees, friends tested to their limits – but she could grant them some comfort, more so closure; the remaining bodies of their dead were to remain on the planet; not to be drawn back to the Lifestream – all apart from one. 

"Oh God no………."

Cissnei rapidly shot her hand to her mouth as her amber irises fell upon the sight of Christi and Seifer – then on their son, she and the other's were still a relative distance from them; but it was still clear to see the lack of movement in the teenager's chest area, along with hearing Christi's sobs………the female Turk shook her head as she back-tracked automatically; dropping Rekka to the ground with a loud clatter as she did so – so much had happened in such a short amount of time; and now they were all at breaking point! The mothering female turned hastily – only to collide forcefully with another black suit wearing individual. Reno glanced down the foot or so that separated his height from Cissnei's, only for the younger of the two to break down – crying hard into the lanky male's chest as he comfortingly placed an arm around his fellow Turk, his own irises mirroring sympathy as they fell upon the same sight that Cissnei's had only moments prior……….

_**"Jamie!"**_

Tseng hastily caught his daughter as she attempted to run forwards, it wasn't her turn to say goodbyes – there would be time later; but for now, it was Jamie's family…San tried her best to break lose of her father's grasp as she screamed and shouted incoherently – wanting to blame anyone and everyone for not stopping what had happened; for not helping Jamie – for just not!!!! But the eighteen-year-old's anger was short lived as so was her struggling; San unwillingly sunk to her knees as she started to cry bitterly as the true realisation of the matter sunk in – this was just so wrong; none of this was ever meant to happen…...

"Grandpa – why's San upset? Where's Mommy and Daddy – did Jamie win?"

Genesis swallowed hard as Alex looked to him from where he held her in his arms, a look of pure curiosity in her eyes as her young mind tried desperately to make sense out of the happenings that had just transpired……….the SOLDIER nodded his head as he caught onto the sight of his wife hastily wiping away the tears that had fallen down upon her tanned cheeks;

"Yeah hun – he did…"

Angeal glanced around as the familiar pains returned with a vengeance…but he didn't speak or react; just slipped quietly away – aware that his friends had their own losses to mourn………..

"Tifa – have you seen Zack?"

Tifa shook her head as Aerith held her gaze; worry etched in the very depths of her vivid green irises; everything was so hectic right then; people were running every which way and so many were as confused as her - all the martial-arts expert wanted above anything else was; what they'd had before all this - a bar, a delivery service; three kids - trips to Balamb Garden to visit their allies and friends there; not like now - not like all the heartache that lay ahead; not with all the pain and sorrow that had been born tonight…Cloud looked around immediately upon hearing Aerith's query, only then noticing the lack of the cheeky SOLDIER, the blonde closed his shimmering eyes as he strained his hearing; Zack was the sort of person that you heard before you saw………but now telltale laugh or joke revealed the 1st Class's position.

Genesis glanced around as the group split up; mostly in search of a certain black-haired father, along with anyone else who was yet to reappear from amidst the battlefield that had been made of Balamb Garden that night…but Genesis also noticed another missing individual; the one person who's support he could have really done with at that moment in time;

"Here Alex; I have to find Angeal…"

Alex nodded silently as she took her granddaughter from her husband's arms, sniffing lightly and wiping away another rebellious tear from her cheek as she did so, meeting the SOLDIER's luminescent irises as she did so;

"Are you okay to go on your own – you're still hurt Genesis…"

"I will be fine…"

Alex watched on as her husband turned his back to her, she shook her head slightly as she shifted the young child further up on her hip…still not fully convinced that the enigmatic SOLDIER was fine as he stated – but that was him; and if he said he was okay; then you had to take that………

* * *

Angeal sighed deeply as he looked up – smiling lightly at the sight of the innumerable sparkling stars that lit up the black sheet that was night through the thick blanket of grey clouds that still emptied their bellies of water down upon the face of Gaia, almost as if attempting to wash away the blood that had been spilt that very night… 

"Ahhh…"

Angeal unwillingly doubled-over as pain flared into life within his lower abdomen…accompanied by the horrible sensation of retching, but what was worse than the retching alone was what the Banola native was throwing-up; pitch-black blood………the SOLDIER sunk to his knees as he began coughing violently – he had thought it had passed all those years ago; but the black blood that had accompanied his retching and coughing only proved to reject that foolish thought; it had happened to Rika, and now it was happening to him, had reached its' worst with him – Angeal had been born of the G-project; therefore counting for the level of G-cells within his genetic structure, working in harmony with his human cells, more so; had…after joining SOLDIER; Angeal's body was infused with Jenova's cells; J-cells, in essence; foreign cells – foreign cells that waged a silent and internal war against his G-cells…ultimately wreaking havoc and destroying his human cells……….but he had been fortunate; Angeal's body had, somehow, managed to stabilize itself….years had passed without even the slightest hint of the ailment – until now; the presence of Jenova herself had caused his J-cells to flare back into life with a vengeance…but the damage had been done this time; giving his body no chance to even attempt to stabilize itself…a body was only capable of coping with so much and his body had reached its' limits, incapable of dealing with additional trauma – and Angeal Hewley gladly accepted his fate, and why shouldn't he? His parents were gone, his sister was gone…and now; he was as good as gone too……….

"Angeal…"

Angeal glanced up as he immediately registered her voice, a small smile spreading lightly across his face as he met her gaze – willingly grasping her outstretched hand; allowing her to guide him to the Lifestream, not once fighting the wisping tendrils of tranquil as they materialized around him……….

Genesis froze mid-step as he finally located his lifelong friend, and; more so – what was now occurring; the Lifestream was drawing Angeal away, causing his body to dissipate into tiny luminescent flecks that buzzed upwards. The red-coated SOLDIER stepped forward, even though he knew in his very heart and soul that there was nothing he could do to stop the inevitable and help his friend – but this couldn't be happening; Alex had been granted a second chance, his family had been ripped apart, his grandson killed, his past friend killed, his friend's sister and a friend of his own had been killed also – and now; the one person Genesis had thought would always be there; was leaving too………

"Angeal!"

Angeal smiled genuinely through the haze of green that now partially obscured his vision; Genesis had found him – he hadn't meant for his friend to see this; so much had already snowballed and crashed down tonight, and now another blow was being dealt to the SOLDIER;

"Forgive me Genesis…I guess you are the only one to escape your DNA………."

Genesis shot his gaze around quickly as he immediately understood the meaning behind Angeal's words, but yet; hoping that he was gravely mistaken………but the harrowing sight of black blood alongside his friend instantly caused him to shake his head – trying his utmost to ignore the agony present in his heart; he had overcome his degenerative gene, but had passed it onto his grandson; ultimately leading to the youth's premature death – and now his friend, one who had been by his side since early childhood, had succumbed to his own DNA………

"Time to go Angeal…"

Rika smiled as she pulled her brother upwards – grateful that she had been allowed the chance to guide him to the Lifestream………

Genesis blinked back unfamiliar tears as his friend fully dissipated – this wasn't fair; none of it was! Everything was just so fucked up – he was angry…but he had no one to blame or to be angry with!

"Why did all this happen?!"

The SOLDIER gritted his teeth as his hurt peaked; not one single answer met his angered shout – only serving to infuriate the man even more………

**_"Damn it!"_**

Several Fira blast collided forcefully with the ground, rocks, trees; anything that happened to be unlucky enough to bear witness to Genesis' pain and anger – but just as the last of the blasts collided forcefully with an outcrop of rock' the red-coated SOLDIER fell to his knees, breathing purposely deep in an attempt to control himself; his shoulders shaking as he refused to break down – too many other's were breaking, if they hadn't done already, Christi, Alex…he couldn't break down; he was the one person who couldn't lose face; he had to hold it all together………willingly or not.

"Don't worry – I'll look out for him Genesis…"

Genesis looked up slowly; now fully aware of the whiteness that had surrounded him; along with the three figures, two of which stood back a bit from the third – the one who was talking to him;

"Look after who?"

Angeal smiled as he turned, walking towards his sister and past friend; his words lightly said as all three turned their backs; walking away together into the blissful whiteness of serenity and rest;

"Jamie…he's not alone here."

* * *

Cloud glanced around as he came to a halt – Zack still hadn't been seen, and; truth be told, it was worrying. Zack was a livewire; incapable of sitting still for more than a few minutes at a time and constantly cracking jokes, he was never one to remain hidden or lost for too long – so then; where the hell was he? 

Several others were also in search of the black-haired SOLDIER – even if they were only doing so in an attempt to remove their attention away from the true pain that the night had allowed to transpire. The blonde shook his head as he became aware of the sheer volume of people around;

"Rufus, Reeve – call your troops back, see who else is missing!"

It took a little less than two or three minutes fro the company president and the WRO commissioner to pull their ranks back; ordering the majority of which back towards the interior of the Mercenary school, to help with what they could………

Squall frowned as he glimpsed around the at the wreckage of what remained of the venerable Balamb Garden; repairs were direly needed; that was blatantly obvious, but a matter far more pressing was the fact of the infirmary – it was a reasonably sized ward; with plentiful staff……….but it was never intended to have to deal with a critical level of patients; students and sparring mishaps; sure – but not implications of a full-out war.

Cloud froze as a sudden memory sprung to mind – Zack had walked away from them all when the SeeD's had open fire on Jamie – the blonde father made an immediate U-turn as he remembered in which way his friend had moved, but felt the breath leave his lungs as his shimmering cerulean gaze fell upon the rubble and ruins that filled his sight – if Zack had been over there when it had been ripped apart; then he was still there – and probably hurt………

"_**Zack!"**_

Cloud shot forward as he glimpsed a gloved hand protruding from amidst tons of rubble…it took the delivery company owner a mere few seconds to reach the site and hastily push rubble aside; revealing, despite his prayers and hopes; the unresponsive frame of Zack Fair. Cloud gritted his teeth as he pulled the SOLDIER free of the rubble that had pressed down upon his body for a time now – silently beseeching Minerva for his friend's welfare…but being disheartened as he lay the male's frame down; early searching for wounds or injuries that could have been causing the non-responsiveness………but nothing more than mere cuts and scrapes met the blonde's scanning irises…that and the stillness of the man's chest……….

"Zack – don't screw with me on this one!"

Cloud shook his friend's body in an attempt to bring the cheeky SOLDIER round, still hoping that it was just as simple joke on Zack's part, but; as the seconds ticked by; realizing that it was no more of a joke than the one Jamie was playing on his parents…

"Fuck it Zack…"

Cloud attempted to pull his friend's form up, still desperately hoping that the black-haired father would come-to an any moment and laugh about how worried they had all been about him – but it was nothing more than a childish hope; one that became apparent as Zack remained silent and pale……….Cloud inadvertabely allowed the damp ground to jar his knees as they met the surface – there was no way in goddamn hell that a Goddess could be so cruel as to put him through the same heartache twice; he'd watched his friend die once – and now she had allowed the same unimaginable deed to transpire yet again! He couldn't hold it in anymore; Cloud looked up as tears rolled down his cheeks, merging with the raindrops that landed upon his face as he let loose his emotions; the anger, the hurt, the pain, the confusion – the unwillingness to believe that his friend was gone – leaving behind a wife and an eighteen-year-old daughter……….

* * *

_**A/N; Ye're thoughts hun??????**_

_**Thanks as usual!!!**_

_**XXXXX**_

_**Renolvr:-P**_


	27. Sunrise

**_A/N; This is officially the last chapter of Inheritance - thanks to all of ye who stuck by me with this one, and especially; Angel Crisis Eos - you're a star hun!_**

* * *

"Cloud...are you okay?"

Cloud shook his head lightly as he continued to stare blankly out of the glass-panelled front of the Shera...the dull greyish glow of dawn was just appearing over the distant horizon; a beautiful sight that none could truly appreciate at that moment in time. Two agonizingly slow hours had dragged by since the airships had arrived at Balamb Garden, bound for ShinRa headquarters in Edge - the school had been seriously damaged and was now incapable of bearing shelter to all those who needed it, along with trying to keep up with the medical necessities...and for those reasons; the decision had been made to relocate to the newly repaired HQ...

He was still numb inside - the blonde found it near-impossible to comprehend the fact that fate had dealt him the same hand again - but there was no denying it; the oppresive atmosphere that had enveloped them all only stood to further support the fact that Zack Fair _**was **_dead.

As long as he lived; Cloud Strife would never be capable of wiping the sound of Aerith's heartbroken sobs from his memories...despite the hurt he had been feeling also; Cloud had decided that he'd break the news to Elmyra...someone had had to; seeing that the eighteen-year-old had regained consciousness and was asking where her father was, and he was her godfather; the closest thing to an uncle that she possesed...

Needless to say; the youth had refused to believe him, even going so far as to leave her infirmery bed in and attempt to find her father and prove to the rest that they had been gravely mistaken...only for a solemn looking Denzel to catch her, barring her exit as he whispered quietly to her, silently supporting her frame as Elmyra had broken down...

As they all reeled from the unexpected death of their friends; an additional blow had been dealt to them all...Rufus had noticed the lack of his two remaining senior SOLDIERs...one of which had reappeared only mere minutes later...a blank and emotionless look upon his face as he spoke whilst passing them all and walking onboard the Shera; _Angeal's gone too... _

Alex Yamamoto stepped silently through the metallic pneumatically controlled door as it slid open; granting her passage to a, more or less; deserted room onboard the Shera. The only other occupant of the room being the last of the remaining original SOLDIERs, the last of the three. Genesis had quickly performed one of his fabled disappearing acts almost immediately after receiving the necessary medical treatment that his wounded left shoulder blade had needed. It hadn't taken a rocket scientist in order to realise that the 1st Class was not okay – but most of those who had discovered this fact had their own troubles and heartache to deal with………Alex had just left Christi and Seifer; the latter of which was finding it hard to get his head around the fact that the female who had been dead since before he had even picked up with Christi, and was now his mother-in-law…was alive. But, needless to mention; both were heartbroken, and that was to say in the very least – how could one describe in words how a mother and father felt whilst looking at the lifeless body of their eldest child…there were words to truly describe the inner turmoil that each was going through………

"Genesis………"

Alex walked forwards slowly as she kept her steel-hued irises fixed on the figure of her husband…Genesis was still oblivious to the fact that an additional presence had entered the relatively large sized room that he had been sitting within for near-on an hour…and for that full hour; all he had done was stare out of the window at the gradually lightening sky outside the glass…silently trying to make sense of the happenings of the night.

"Genesis…"

It was only as the petite female appeared alongside the table on which the SOLDIER was sitting, with one knee drawn up to his chin, did Genesis Rhapsodos register her presence………although still not breaking his luminescent irises away from the window alongside him………

"Alex…he's gone…Angeal's gone too………"

It was all the female could do not to allow the tears that had welled within her eyes to roll down her cheeks…the tone of his voice was so…_flat_, it was scary…surely he was hurting too; after all – both males had always been a part of the other's life; from day one, until now…from childhood, through SOLDIER and all that had transpired in the many years that had passed since Midgar had fallen…and now that unwavering friendship had been put to an end in the most cruellest of fashions……….

"What happened Genesis – you're the only one who knows; did Angeal get injured when he faced Rika?"

A silent and mere shake of his hazel-haired head was the only response that Alex received. That and a stony and arkward silence as Genesis' attention remained glued to the window………Alex sighed as she leaned her back against the wall alongside the window that her husband seemed so hopelessly interested in;

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me –"

"A while back, back in Midgar, before ShinRa fell; Angeal suffered from his own form of degeneration; his G-cells and Jenova cells did not harmonize…they both fought for superiority over the other; effectively wreaking damage upon his internal organs and destroying his human cells………"

Alex looked up as Genesis went on, still staring blankly out of the window into the grey sky outside, resting his chin upon his knee as he sighed before continuing;

"Somewhere along the line; Angeal's body managed to stabilize itself…and had maintained itself for years – until tonight……….Jenova's presence, as far as I can fathom, caused a reawakening in his J-cells………this time causing irreversible damage………"

Alex silently pushed herself from the wall as her feet led her to her husband…the bi-racial female gently wrapped her arms the SOLDIER's neck from the back, resting her head atop his as she finally understood his disposition towards the situation………

"It's okay to hurt Genesis, it's what makes us human at the end of the day………no one is going to hold it against you for breaking…you've just lost your best friend hun………"

Genesis shut his eyes as Alex's voice became strangled by unshed tears…she'd lost a friend also, but now she was trying to be the strong one in order to give him a break; an action that he was extremely grateful for at that moment in time…he was hurting; he knew that himself, but as he had decided upon already; someone had to hold it all together…but, as long as it was just the two of them; then Genesis didn't have to worry about being the rock for once in his life………

"Thank-you………I've missed you Alex………"

Alex smiled lightly as she loosened her arms and sat upon the table alongside her husband…this was the first real time the two had been together along…the midst of the fight hadn't seemed like the opportune moment to have a lovey-dovey reunion, and now; their best friend was dead and their grandson was dead………but maybe; they could just ignore all the pain and sorrow for a few fleeting minutes…...

"Sorry about trying to trip you in the corridor Genesis, it seemed like a good idea at the time………"

Genesis, despite the mood he was in at that time, found himself to be smiling ever so slightly as his mind flicked back to several days earlier when an invisible force had hooked around his ankle in the corridor outside Christi's room………had it only been a few days ago? It seemed more like a lifetime ago at that stage…

"Do not worry about it…shorty…"

Alex turned her head and tilted it upwards at an angle, so as she was looking into the face of her husband, a look of slight amusement on her face as she leaned her head against his shoulder;

"All I want is two inches…is that too much to ask for?"

Genesis shrugged lightly as he tore his gaze away from the window for the first time in over an hour, glimpsing down as he spoke, an air of shock to his voice this time around;

"What happened to you in the Promised Land…you were never one to let a comment like that slide…I am usually ducking Stupid apples at this stage Alex………"

A light shrug and a gentle elbow was all that accompanied his wife's response as she closed her eyes, whilst still resting her head against his shoulder;

"I grew up Genesis…have you forgotten how many years it's been since the crash – I haven't; I've been watching you and Christi…everyone changes; I'm no exception to that rule SOLDIER-boy………and you're lucky; this ship doesn't stock Stupid apples anyhow…"

Genesis smiled lightly as he put one of his arms around Alex's shoulder, revelling in the blissful moments that ticked by, it was nice just to sit there and not think about everything that was currently going on outside of the room they were both in…but; all good things had to come to an end, eventually…it was several peacefully minutes later that Genesis asked the dreaded question;

"What is the death-toll?"

"Apart from Jamie, Angeal, Rika and Zack – between thirty-five and forty ShinRa grunts, eighteen SeeDs, eleven SeeD recruits, and the majority of two WRO regiments………"

The 1st Classshook his head in disbelief – he had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts and inner turmoil that he had been oblivious to most of the deaths…more so; the death of an additional SOLDIER………

"Zack's dead………when – how?"

Alex sighed deeply as she once again took up the post of informative…she had known Zack in his days at ShinRa HQ in Midgar, albeit not closely – just kind of passing…but even she had been aware of the SOLDIER's loudness, cheekiness, light-heartedness, all in all – his character…it seemed impossible that one so full of life could have been snuffed out so easily as Zack Fair had………

"No one could find him, everyone was looking – it was Cloud who found him………he'd gotten caught in the crossfire of the blasts; buried beneath rubble with a few of the SeeD recruits………he was already gone when Cloud pulled him clear Genesis, the force of the blast caused severe brain haemorrhaging…he was dead before he'd hit the ground………"

Alex allowed a rebellious tear to roll down one of her cheeks as she finished explaining…the night was a tragedy in itself – never, in her life before, or her existence in the Promised Land, had Alex Yamamoto bore witness to such events…and all she could do was pray to Minerva that nothing as the likes of this would ever be allowed to transpire in the future.

"C'mere…"

Alex allowed herself to be pulled into a hug as Genesis noticed the tear race hastily down her face…the SOLDIER held his love close as she allowed several more tears to fall from her iron gaze…he gently placed his chin upon her the top of her head as instinct took over…it may have been years since Genesis Rhapsodos had been permitted to do such, but it was all coming back now………the room immediately grew warmer as the orangey glow of sunrise filled ever corner of it's confines………the brightness and serenity of which seemed to calm all on board the several airships in flight from Balamb Garden to ShinRa HQ in Edge…it conveyed only one simple message which all seemed ready to accept; the night was over, the morning had come – it was time to start picking up all the pieces of their shattered lives yet again.

* * *

**_A/N: That's it guys!_**

**_What did ye think huns? Thanks for reading lads! (BTW; I'm Irish - so "Lads" refers to everyone, it's what we say over here, it doesn't just refer to lads, as in males!)_**

**_XXXXX_**

**_Renolvr:-P_**


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